Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals

Desk Clearing: West Side Spanish, Birdie Dance, Nine Movie, and Ragtime Logo

A number of things have been making me cranky lately. Not sure if it's just my mood, or if these items are genuinely annoying. So, rather than addressing each item separately, I figured I'd just get them all out of the way in one peevish post.

Bye Bye Birdie - The New York Daily News reports that the star of the upcoming Broadway revival of Bye Bye Birdie, Gina Gershon, won't be performing the show's iconic Shriner's Ballet. The article quotes Gershon as saying the dance was cut because it was too "gang rape-y." As other commentators have pointed out, that's never seemed to be a problem before, despite being Tams-Witmark's number-one show for decades. The more likely explanation: Gershon can't handle the dance. If they're so concerned about modern sensibilities, will Gershon be performing the regressive and sexist "An English Teacher"? Will the chorus girls still be fawning and fainting to the salacious sight of Conrad Birdie's gyrating hips? The show is a period piece. If you don't like the period, don't do the piece.
Peeve Factor: 7 out of 10. If you want to see a real pro in action, click here to watch Chita Rivera perform the Shriner's Ballet.

West Side Story - According to the New York Times, the current smash-hit Broadway revival of West Side Story has changed back much of the show's much-touted Spanish to the original English lyrics and text. As you may know, director Arthur Laurents brought in Lin-Manuel Miranda (In the Heights) to translate huge chunks of the show into Spanish. The article quotes Laurents as saying the Spanish was "an experiment." Yeah, a failed experiment. As I've written about in my reviews of the show itself and of the CD, I wasn't a fan of the Spanish text. I found it alienating and thought it robbed two terrific songs ("I Feel Pretty" and "A Boy Like That/I Have a Love") of their humor, pathos, and drama. But I also thought that Miranda's lyrics didn't match the quality of Sondheim's original work.
Peeve Factor: 5 out of 10, mitigated by the fact that they've, for the most part, reverted to the infinitely preferable original words.

"Nine" - The more I hear about Rob Marshall's forthcoming film version of Nine, the less excited I become. First, the delectable Javier Bardem dropped out, replaced by the talented but IMHO considerably less sexy Daniel Day Lewis. Now, according to Playbill, Maury Yeston has provided three new songs for the movie: "Guarda la Luna," "Cinema Italiano," and "Take it All." Which is fine, but to make room, they're cutting at least five of the original songs: "Simple," "Be On Your Own," "Grand Canal," "Nine," "The Bells of St. Sebastian's." Boo and grrr. (For a detailed discussion of the cut and added songs, check out a post by my friend Kevin at Theatre Aficionado at Large.)
Peeve Factor: 9 out of 10. Pun intended. I'm not a knee-jerk purist, but the movie is going to need to be pretty spectacular to make up for the butchering of the score. Of course, the "Sweeney Todd" film involved a tremendous amount of cutting as well, and I raved about that movie in my review. So, the jury's still out, despite my current annoyance.

Ragtime - The press folk for the upcoming Broadway revival of Ragtime have recently been touting the new visual identity for the production. (See left) Apparently, it's the work of some famous Italian illustrator. Whatever, it's washed-out, flat, and unmemorable. Plus, the physical arrangement seems borrowed from the logo to The Secret Garden. Of course, I was also nonplussed by the logos for Hair and A Catered Affair, and impressed by that of Cry-Baby. So there's no necessary connection between the quality of an individual show and that of its marketing materials.
Peeve Factor: 2 out of 10. Like many of you, I'm simply thrilled that Ragtime is getting another chance on Broadway. During its original run, it was overshadowed by The Lion King and hampered by irresponsible -- and now felonious -- producing.

Forever Plaid - 20th Anniversary Cinecast

A few weeks back, I wrote a rather dismissive post about the one-night-only 20th anniversary cinecast of Forever Plaid, which took place last night. I expressed skepticism as to whether this was the show that the movie-going public was really crying out to see. In response, the folks at NCM Fathom contacted me, inviting me to see the show and judge for myself.

Well, I went. And there were 17 people in the theater, including me and three friends, who had received comps. And this is in Boston, which is about as receptive a locale as any for a show such as this. I get the feeling that there were a lot of empty or near-empty theaters among the 500 or so that were part of the simulcast.

I had never seen Forever Plaid before; it just never really caught my interest. And now that I've seen the show, it still doesn't. On paper, the premise is promising: a four-part close-harmony men's group dies in a car crash, run off the road by a bus filled with Catholic school girls. But for some inscrutable reason, they're granted passage back to earth for one final performance, I guess to earn their place in heaven or some such reason. It really wasn't clear, and I'm frankly not moved to do any research to find out.

Overall, I found the show, created and directed by one Stuart Ross, to be a yawn-fest, repetitious beyond the limits of my patience. I guess I'm just not a fan of this category of song (e.g. "Three Coins in the Fountain," "Love is a Many Splendored Thing," "Matilda," "Rags to Riches" etc.) Perhaps if I were, I would have been more engaged. I was momentarily entertained during the sequence during which the Plaids pay tribute to "The Ed Sullivan Show," which contained some very fun moments, props, and performances. Original Plaid cast members Stan Chandler (Jinx) and David Engel (Smudge) were on hand, joined by Larry Raben (Sparky) and Daniel Reicherd (Frankie). A very talented foursome to be sure, but I found myself wishing I were seeing them in a show that gave them a chance to show what they can really do.

The cinecast included a pre-taped performance of the show, which again I found mostly dull, followed by a live segment featuring the cast members, with special guest star Carol Channing. During the after-show, the Plaids performed some doo-wop versions of "Memory" and "The Ballad of Sweeney Todd" that I actually found quite enjoyable. Then, my beloved Carol came onstage and sang "Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend," and even at the advanced age of 88, my girl Carol was an absolute delight. If they release the Forever Plaid movie on DVD, I'm hoping that they'll include the after-concert in the DVD extras. Because, although I can't imagine being in any hurry to watch Forver Plaid again, I would like to get another viewing of the doo-wop showtunes and Carol's star turn.

So, the night was not a total loss. Plus, I got to meet and spend time with my fellow bloggers Scot and Michael Colford (see their respective takes on Forbidden Plaid here and here) as well as my BGMC buddy Victor R-R-R-R-R-Ramos. But it makes me wonder what I'm going to think of The Marvelous Wonderettes when I see it next week, which strikes me as pretty darned similar to Forever Plaid. Oh well. It's all a part of my journey to offer as full a chronicle as possible of modern musical theater. The things I do for you, dear reader.

Forever Plaid at a Theater Near You

Last year, we saw the first "cinecast" of a Broadway musical. The final performances of Rent were filmed and subsequently broadcast to movie theaters in September. The film was later released on DVD, and those of us who were deeply disappointed in the 2005 film version of Rent were thrilled to have this vastly superior version (read my review) to replace Chris Columbus's torpid document of this landmark show.

However, the cinecasts of Rent didn't do well in some geographic markets -- although the showing I saw in Boston was packed -- so there was a question as to whether other shows would receive the cinecast treatment.

But it looks as though the theatrical cinecast is still alive, at least for now. On July 9th, NCM Fathom will present a one-night-only 20th anniversary showing of Forever Plaid. The event will apparently include a pre-taped performance of the show, a live segment featuring original cast members, as well as a follow-the-bouncing-ball sing-along.

Um, really? Forever Plaid? That's the show that the movie-going public is crying out to see?

As you may know, Forever Plaid ran Off Broadway over four years in the early '90s, amassing a total of 1,811 performances. It's the story of a close-harmony men's singing group that dies in a car crash only to come back from the great beyond for one final shot at glory. The show doesn't have an original score, but instead features such song standards as "Three Coins in the Fountain" and "Love is a Many Splendored Thing." Since its Off Broadway run, Forever Plaid has become a regional and community-theater staple, and has been performed all over the world.

Which is one of the reasons that I'm skeptical as to the economic prospects of the cinecast event. Rent was an event. Sure, the show had toured extensively, but this was a chance to see the final performance of an important and popular show. I just don't see enough people getting excited enough about Forever Plaid to make it economically viable, but perhaps the producers know something that I don't about the show's appeal. I'll certainly see it, and buy the video should it come out on DVD. But I'm a musical-theater fanatic. In order to succeed, this event is going to have to appeal to a broader audience, and I'm sorry but I just don't see that happening.

UPDATE: The producers of the Forever Plaid event contacted me hoping to change my mind about the cinecast. I told the woman I spoke with that I was certainly open to the possibility that the show might actually be a fun time, but that I remained skeptical as to its economic prospects. She said I might be surprised at how many Plaid heads there are out there. Yes, that would certainly surprise me. But she promised to send me some press passes so that I could decide for myself. Hey, I'm an open-minded guy, and I have certainly changed my mind, or at least revised my views, on a number of shows that I've reviewed. Billy Elliot, Next to Normal, and In the Heights come to mind. But will the same happen for Forever Plaid? The cinecast takes place July 9th. Watch this space shortly thereafter to see if it will.

Gyllenhall and Carrey in Damn Yankees Movie

That collective sigh you heard earlier today was the reaction of thousands of theater queens worldwide (this one included) reacting to the news that Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star as Joe Hardy in a new movie version of Damn Yankees.

Variety reports that Gyllenhaal will join Jim Carrey (as Mr. Applegate) in a Hollywood remake of the classic Richard Adler and Jerry Ross musical. Apparently, Craig Zadan and Neil Meron ("Chicago," "Hairspray") have been working for a few years on the project, and after numerous machinations have received the greenlight from New Line Cinema. The plan is to get a screenplay draft together (from Lowell Ganz and Babaloo Mandel) before shopping the project around to prospective directors, as well as Lola candidates.

I think it's safe to say at this point that the movie musical genre is officially mainstream again. This has been years in the making, of course, but it's interesting to note that it's no longer news in itself that Hollywood is making musicals. We're back to talking about the individual projects rather than the resurrection of the genre. Of course, that's great, but I think we all know that it's only going to last as long as the projects continue to make money.

On a related note, Rob Marshall's film version of "Nine" will reportedly hit theaters in November. Now, I'm as excited as the next TQ about this movie. (Although I would have been a lot more excited if Javier Bardem had stuck with the project.) And the cast is certainly chockablock with familiar, Oscar-winning faces (Daniel Day Lewis, Judi Dench, Nicole Kidman, Marion Cotillard, Penelope Cruz, Sophia Loren). But is anyone else out there as skeptical as I am about "Nine" and its mainstream appeal? Please don't get me wrong: I *love* this musical. But I have a really hard time conceptualizing its potential audience.

Hamlet 2: Not to Be

I never got around to seeing the movie "Hamlet 2" in its theatrical release, but I did finally watch it over the weekend on DVD. I'm glad I wasn't in any rush: it isn't very good.

On paper, "Hamlet 2" is exactly the sort of movie that should appeal to me: a snarky take on high school theatrics, with an over-the-top finale lampooning the likes of "High School Musical" and its multimedia offspring. The material is ripe with parodic possibility, but the filmmakers have squandered the opportunities therein.

In the hands of director Andrew Fleming (the man who gave us "Dick" and "The Craft"), "Hamlet 2" is about as dramatically cohesive as your typical John Waters movie. In other words, not at all. I was reminded in particular of "Pecker," in which Waters shows how the wrong director can make even the most talented actors (including the wonderful Lili Taylor and Martha Plimpton) appear awkward and forced. Fleming achieves a similar feat with the prodigiously talented Catherine Keener, and with the sometimes amusing David Arquette, who's wasted here in a one-joke role for which the joke isn't very funny. 

Whatever reason may exist to watch this film lies in the skill of its central performer, Steve Coogan ("I'm Alan Partridge," "Night at the Museum"), a comedian of protean abilities who does what he can to give the limp material some bite, and sometimes succeeds. "Saturday Night Live" alumna Amy Poehler provides a few chuckles in her abbreviated screen time, but overall "Hamlet 2" seems to think that it's a hell of a lot more funny than it really is. The movie fashions itself a cheeky little indie flick with a hip, ironic take on modern society, but it comes off more like the similarly disappointing and disjointed "Wet Hot American Summer": sporadically funny, but overall awkward, sometimes painful to watch.

In the Heights Recoups Investment

Again, all is not entirely dire on Broadway. The producers of the Tony-Award-winning musical In the Heights have announced that the show has recouped its initial $10 million investment after 10 months and 337 performances. That's actually relatively fast, especially since the show has often played to not-quite-capacity crowds. By comparison, Jersey Boys recouped in around 8 months, Wicked in about 7 months, and Spamalot in a little over a year.

I certainly don't begrudge In the Heights its success. Although I really didn't care for the show when I saw it Off-Broadway (read my review), I warmed up to it considerably when I saw the Broadway version (read my re-review). The show is energetic and heartfelt, if a tad cliché, and there's lots of genuine talent on stage and behind the scenes.

It will be interesting to see what happens to In the Heights now, after the holiday season. So many other musicals have been closing left and right, both former hits and shows that never quite gained their economic footing. It seems that only the guaranteed bullet-proof hits are going to make it through the winter, and In the Heights, while now profitable, hasn't quite achieved bullet-proof status. The show's attendance averaged about 84% in 2008, and its grosses hovered at around $750,000, occasionally tipping above the million mark. In any other year, those stats would indicate a show with some legs. But will Broadway in its current economic state be able to accommodate anything other than the mega-musicals and the limited-run, star-driven plays?

Movie Musicals: In the Heights, Wicked, and...Rock of Ages?

Well, Broadway shows may be closing left and right, but at least we have some movie versions to look forward to. Or dread, as the case may be.

Based, no doubt, on the phenomenal international success of "Mamma Mia," Universal Studios and producer Marc Platt have announced prospective plans to bring Wicked to the silver screen. There have also been rumors floating around of film versions of both In the Heights and Spring Awakening. Apparently no less a personage than Jennifer Lopez (or, as Eric Cartman would say, "HAY-nee-fer LOH-pay") is interested in In the Heights. (Will she want to actually appear in the movie? If so, will she play the sexy Vanessa? The brassy, sassy Daniela? Perhaps a youthful Abuela Claudia?)

Those movies all make a certain amount of sense. Wicked is a ginormous international phenomenon, so a movie was more or less inevitable, and while In the Heights and Spring Awakening aren't quite in the same league, at least financially, they both represent opportunities to attract younger audiences with scores that are a little more in a modern idiom than those of most movie musicals past.

And then there's Rock of Ages, the modest, fun, and surprisingly sweet tuner that's currently playing Off Broadway. (Read my review.) The movie will be produced by New Line Cinema, which is also developing a sequel to its megahit film version of "Hairspray." Apparently, Rock of Ages librettist, one Chris D'Arienzo, will not only pen the screenplay but also direct the film.

Although a film version of Rock of Ages probably won't have the same branded name-recognition as the aforementioned shows, it comes with a sort of built-in fan base for the its songs, which include hits from such 1980s icons as Loverboy, Pat Benatar, Foreigner, and Journey. No word yet on whether star Constantine Maroulis will make the jump to the silver screen, although since he was involved in putting the show together, there's a least a distinct possibility.

BTW, speaking of "Mamma Mia," based on my scathing review of same, a number of people have commented to me that the movie has brought in more than a half a billion dollars, so I guess that means that I must be wrong or something. Um...since when have box office receipts had ANYthing to do with the inherent quality of a film? I'm not saying that my view is the last word on the subject. I'm just saying that I hated, Hated, HATED that movie. The critical response to "Mamma Mia" was admittedly mixed, but I'm certainly not the only reviewer to find the movie execrable. Feel free to buy the upcoming DVD release, take it home, make it your own...heck, marry the damn thing if you like. Just don't expect me to follow suit. I'm just hoping Rob Marshall's upcoming move version of "Nine" can help restore my faith in the genre.

Rent: The Movie Version That *Doesn't* Suck

If you were, like me, deeply disappointed in the 2005 movie version of "Rent," then you'll be very happy to learn that the new filmed version, called "Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway," is infinitely better. It has its quirks and flaws, but on the whole, it's a thrilling document of a landmark show.

The film starts off a bit creaky, with the actors playing a bit too much to the cameras. Or perhaps that was just a sign of my need to get used to what is in fact a new medium: a "live" film of a Broadway musical being shown in a local movie theater. But, to me, it seemed that people were breaking character at first, as if to say, "Isn't it cool we're filming this!", and exhibiting an annoying "Yeah, man!" enthusiasm when they're singing songs about how miserable their lives are. For the most part, the filming didn't call attention to itself, allowing the power of the show to speak for itself.  

But once the power of the piece kicked in, I was reminded of what a terrific show Rent is: the setting, the emotions, the relationships, the subtext. It's a rich and complexly executed show, performed with admirable restraint by the mostly strong final Broadway cast. I haven't seen the show in a few years, and as I sat watching the film, I was reminded that certain parts of Rent are incredibly well written, including the "I Should Tell You" duet during the "La Vie Boheme" sequence. There's also some stuff that's hackneyed and lame, including "Happy New Year" and the almost unbearable scene after the funeral. ("You have to learn to love yourself," and all that crap. Yeesh.)

But the dynamic final cast somehow made even the lamest of lines work. In fact, some of them were even better than their original-cast counterparts. Particularly good were Will Chase (Roger), Adam Kantor (Mark), Renée Elise Goldsberry (Mimi), and Justin Johnston (Angel). Chase brought more vocal and dramatic modulation to the part than Adam Pascal, and Johnston found much more humor in the role of Angel than I recall from Tony winner Wilson Jermaine Heredia.

I must begrudgingly admit that Eden Espinosa as Maureen was surprisingly effective. I've never been a fan of her particular brand of vocal histrionics, but she kept her excesses in check, and made for a effective foil to Tracie Thoms' likewise serviceable Joanne. Michael McElroy as Collins may have fallen victim to my heightened expectations. The second act reprise of "I'll Cover You" is one of the most moving moments in musical-theater history, but McElroy's rendition didn't really do it for me. Even so, I still found myself blubbering through most of the second act, overwhelmed by the sheer power of the story, the performers, and Jonathan Larson's kick-ass score.

"Rent: Filmed Live on Broadway" plays this Saturday and Sunday, September 27th and 28th, literally at a theater near you. No word yet on whether there are plans to release the film on DVD. But I'm sincerely hoping that they do.

Tickets for Rent Now On Sale

OK, so you weren't able to get down to New York to see the final performance of Rent. That doesn't mean you need to be left out in the cold.

As you may know, Sony Pictures filmed a number of recent performances of the show, and compiled them together for theatrical release. The film will play movie theaters nationwide on September 24th, 25th, 27th, and 28th under the auspices of Sony's The Hot Ticket.

Tickets are $20, which isn't bad, considering a regular movie these days is $10, and Broadway shows average about $75 with discounts, about $100 without. Plus, you get to see the terrific Will Chase play Roger and the loud Eden Espinosa play Maureen. Of course, the show is slated to launch another national tour in 2009 with original stars Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp at the helm, so you could just wait to see it live. But something tells me there's going to be something special about the energy of the final Broadway cast. And we could certainly use something to erase the painful memory of Chris Columbus's flaccid 2005 movie.

Flawed though it may be, Rent is a landmark show, and one that had a tremendous impact on me, as well as many other people. I, for one, am thrilled at the prospect of being able to see the show again "live," and I hope this sort of thing catches on, so more people can get to see Broadway productions in far-flung areas and at affordable prices.

Sing-Along Mamma Mia Hits Theaters Next Week

The producers of the "Mamma Mia" movie have announced that they will be releasing a "sing-along" edition of the film into select theaters nationally on August 29th. The new version will feature the lyrics to each of the songs on the screen, encouraging audience members to join in singing their favorite ABBA ditties.

It's really a brilliant marketing idea, designed no doubt to enhance revenue by getting people to see the movie a second time. Because the primary attraction of the movie, as well as the hit stage version, has always been the insidiously tuneful and catchy ABBA songs.

I almost titled this post "Follow the Bouncing Bomb," but apparently the movie is anything but a bomb. So far, "Mamma Mia" has grossed about $116 million in the U.S., and about $321 million worldwide. (That's still a far cry from the stage version's $2-billion worldwide gross, but just wait for the DVD release.) The film cost a reported $56 million to make, so depending on the notoriously funky Hollywood accounting, this certainly could qualify as a hit.

But that doesn't mean that the movie is any good. I got flamed a bit when I posted my extremely negative review of the movie. People said I should lighten up, that it's just meant to be fluffy fun. I would remind these people that there's a difference between intent and execution. Sure, the movie is meant to be light and humorous, but even fluff needs to be well crafted, which "Mamma Mia" isn't. In their zest for the ABBA songs and the admittedly stellar cast, people seem to be ignoring whether the movie is well made, whether the story makes any sense, or whether the performances are any good. Because, IMHO, it isn't, it doesn't, and they aren't. 

So I shan't be seeing the sing-along "Mamma Mia," but I may decide to take in the Broadway version of Mamma Mia on one of my upcoming NYC jaunts. In fact, I may see it the same weekend I'm seeing Shrek. The reason: the Broadway Theater and the Winter Garden are the only remaining Broadway houses that I've never been in, and seeing both Shrek and Mamma Mia on the same weekend would make it a sort of milestone for me. (I saw Mamma Mia on tour in Boston.) Or I could just wait until Mamma Mia closes, but who knows what horror might take its place. Yeah, I'm probably better off just biting the bullet and getting a discount ticket to Mamma Mia. Somehow this crap seems to work better on stage than on screen.

Rent at a Theater Near You

As previously reported, the final performance of the Broadway musical Rent, which will take place on September 7th, will be filmed for limited showings in movie theaters around the country. The taping will capture the performances of the show's final cast, which features Will Chase as Roger and Eden Espinoza as Maureen. According to Playbill.com, the "cinecasts" of the show will take place on the evenings of September 24th and 25th and the afternoons of September  27th and 28th.

This effort is part of a new business venture that Sony Pictures has launched called The Hot Ticket, which will reportedly include similar cinecasts of popular music concerts, the performing arts, and sporting events, all with high-definition digital projection. No specific locations for the Rent event have been announced but those interested can visits www.thehotticket.net and sign up for "ticket notifications."

In other Rent news, two of the show's increasingly long-in-the-tooth original stars, Anthony Rapp (37) and Adam Pascal (38), will take part in a national tour of the show that launches in January 2009. Rapp and Pascal played a similar gig in the Broadway production last summer, to moderately strong box-office. Hey, if our own Carol Channing could play Dolly Levi at the age of 73, why can't these guys wring every last bit of glory out of the roles of their careers?

Hairspray Sequel, Rocky Remake, and Thompson's My Fair Lady

So many announcements about movie musicals have been coming over the last few days, I can hardly keep up with them. First comes news of a proposed sequel to the movie "Hairspray." John Waters, who wrote and directed the original "Hairspray" movie upon which the stage and film musicals are based, will write the screenplay, which will reunite Adam Shankman, who directed and choreographed the film musical, with composer Marc Shaiman and lyricist Scott Wittman.

What more can possibly be said about Tracy Turnblad and her motley crew? Well, the movie has made $200 million worldwide, so artistic concerns are doubtless secondary to the prospect of establishing a movie franchise, a la "High School Musical." Perhaps if the movie's a hit, we'll see a stage version, then a movie version of the new stage version, and the whole enterprise will become ever more attenuated and derivative, and collapse in upon itself like a black hole or a Rene Magritte painting.

In other movie news, producer Lou Adler recently announced that he's teaming up with MTV to produce a new TV movie version of "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." I've never really understood the impetus behind remakes. If something worked the first time, why set yourself up for the inevitable unflattering comparison? Has there ever been a remake that surpassed the original, artistically or financially? Perhaps the 1936 film version of "Show Boat," although I've never seen the 1929 version. And the 1993 "Gypsy" was a considerable improvement over the lamentable Rosalind Russell film.

The new "Rocky" movie will reportedly feature Richard O'Brien and Jim Sharman's original screenplay, but may feature some new or added musical material. Here's my problem with that: the charm of the original arises not from the quality of the piece itself, but from the outsize performances and shock value contained therein. The movie has become a cult favorite not because it's good but rather because it's so easy to make fun of. Color me extremely skeptical. 

And finally, in a film-musical development that I'm actually encouraged about, Academy Award winner Emma Thompson has reportedly signed on to pen the screenplay for the upcoming film remake of My Fair Lady. Thompson won an Oscar for her masterful screenplay to "Sense and Sensibility," and also wrote the incisive teleplay for the HBO film version of "Wit." Sure, she's never written a musical before, but how many living screenwriters have? Somehow I have a bit more confidence in this project, partly because it's starting out with much better material. I guess that makes me a bit more receptive to the prospect of a remake, although it's hard to imagine anything topping the 1964 original.

Hamlet 2: High School Musical Goes to Hell

A while back, I got an invite to a screening of the upcoming movie "Hamlet 2." The screening was in New York, and I wasn't going to be in the city at that time, so I didn't pay much attention to it.

Then earlier today I was watching something on IFC and there was a trailer for "Hamlet 2." It was one of those "red-band" coming attractions, the ones meant for restricted audiences, so there were like swear words and stuff. The trailer certainly made me laugh, and more than once, so this might be a movie to look out for. Or it could also be one of those self-consciously wacky movies that thinks it's so funny that it winds up being not funny at all.

IMDB describes "Hamlet 2" as the story of a failed actor, turned worse high school drama teacher, who, faced with the cancellation of the school's drama program, rallies his students to the cause as he conceives and stages a politically incorrect musical sequel to Shakespeare's Hamlet.

As Catherine Keener says in the trailer, "Doesn't everybody die at the end of the first one?"

The movie also features David Arquette, Amy Poehler, Broadway's Skylar Astin (Spring Awakening), and Elizabeth Shue in one of those increasingly frequent Hollywood cameos in which movie stars play themselves, often to faux self-effacing effect. (Think Neil Patrick Harris in Harold and Kumar, or David Hasselhoff in "The Spongebob Squarepants Movie.") The director is one Andrew Fleming ("Dick") who co-wrote the screenplay with Pam Brady ("South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut," "Team America: World Police")

As I said, this could be a welcome antidote to "High School Musical" mania, or it just might suck major league moose wang. We'll find out when the movie opens on August 27th.

Mamma Mia!? More Like "Oy Gevalt!"

I was actually kind of looking forward to seeing the movie version of Mamma Mia!, mostly because of the film's terrific cast. I was a bit deflated when the reviews came out last Friday, but nonetheless resolved to see the movie over the weekend, lest the word-of-mouth sway me too far in either direction.

Well, let's just say that the reviews were overly kind, even the scathing ones. This atrocity sets movie musicals back twenty years. Yes, you'd need to go back to John Huston's bloated "Annie," Richard Attenborough's insipid "A Chorus Line," or Colin Higgins' flaccid "The Best Little Whorehouse in Texas" to find a movie musical this clumsy, charmless, and just plain painful to sit through.

The worst of the movie's crimes lies in wasting its wonderfully talented cast. Poor Meryl Streep is forced to mug, snort, writhe, and squeal her way through this discomfiting affair. The marvelous Christine Baranski comes off as an awkward mix of Mae West and Frank N. Furter from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show." And the otherwise wonderful Julie Walters gives the most over-the-top and painfully frenetic performance in a movie chockablock with same.

The rest of the cast doesn't fare much better, although the young lovers Amanda Seyfreid and Dominic Cooper come off marginally less embarrassing than their more mature co-stars. To say that Pierce Brosnan can't sing would be an understatement. Not since Audrey Hepburn in "Funny Face," or perhaps Vanessa Redgrave in "Camelot," have we heard warbling this forced and tuneless. Stellan Skarsgard somehow manages to maintain his dignity, despite the humiliating business Lloyd gives him in a misguided effort to add life to his songs. And the less said about the normally reliable Colin Firth the better.

How do you make this slate of pros look lame and amateurish? You hire an inexperienced director and a hack writer. Phyllida Lloyd should never be allowed to make another movie. Her enervating mix of hyper-reality and lame musical comedy drains what was an amusing trifle of a stage show of whatever charm to which it might once have laid claim. Her tyro director status makes itself readily apparent in myriad ways, including her use of hackneyed camera tricks. (Example: When the Meryl Streep character first sees her three former suitors, Lloyd has the camera zoom quickly in on each of the men's faces. What is this, "Looney Tunes"? I'm surprised she didn't ask the sound guy to throw a "SPROING!" effect into the soundtrack.) 

Screenwriter Catherine Johnson also wrote the book for the stage version of Mamma Mia! To begin with, the plot is stolen from Alan Jay Lerner's little-known musical Carmelina. (Admittedly, Lerner himself stole the story from the movie "Buona Sera, Mrs. Campbell", although he denied it to his dying day.) But more important, there's no credible drama, no believable emotion, and no genuine wit to be had anywhere in the script. But somehow the show works, whereas the movie holds an unflattering light up to the holes in the plot, the dearth of humor, and the lack of character development. And Anthony van Laast's choreography, which on stage was passable, here looks like something out of a local PTA talent show.

Normally, I'll buy the DVD to pretty much any movie musical, if only to help prove that there's a market for this stuff. However, I would sooner endure a colonoscopy and a root canal simultaneously than suffer through the pain of Mamma Mia! ever again.

Clearing Off My Desk - Part 1

I've been coming across a bunch of interesting news tidbits lately, but none of them has inspired in me the desire to craft a full-length post. So I thought I'd do a series of those desk-clearing posts, sort of like the ones that lazy newspaper columnists do at the end of the year. (Since this is sort of the end of the theater season, and I'm sort of a lazy guy...)

NERDS THE MUSICAL: We can add another quirky little musical to the 2008-2009 season. This tuner by Hal Goldberg (music) and Jordan Allen-Dutton and Erik Weiner (book and lyrics) was formerly called Nerds://A Musical Software Satire, began life as part of the New York Musical Theatre Festival, and focuses on the longstanding rivalry between Bill Gates and Steve Jobs
Do I care?: The subject matter doesn't scream musical to me, but it sounds like it could be fun with the right treatment. There are some moderately amusing clips on YouTube that the creators have put together to promote the show. So, we'll see.

NICE WORK IF YOU CAN GET IT: The original production team for the upcoming Harry Connick Jr. tuner has parted ways, and Kathleen Marshall has dropped out as director and choreographer. (According to Michael Riedel, Marshall's main squeeze was one of the original producers, but when he bolted, so did Marshall.) Connick remains as the star, and Broadway Across America has become the lead producer.
Do I care?: I already have my ticket for the Boston tryout, but I have serious doubts that the show will work without Marshall. Depending on whom they can line up to replace her, this project may be doomed.

MY FAIR LADY: Cameron Mackintosh is planning a new movie version of the Lerner and Loewe classic. The original score will remain, but the screenplay will reportedly veer a little closer to the original George Bernard Shaw play Pygmalion. Kiera Knightly is currently in talks to star.
Do I care?: At first, I found it presumptuous that they would jettison Alan Jay Lerner's book, but then I recalled that Lerner himself strayed significantly from Shaw's intent. Will they return to Shaw's original ending, which would necessitate cutting "I've Grown Accustomed to Her Face"? Somehow I doubt it.

Check back tomorrow for more musical nuggets.

Final Rent Performance to Be Filmed

The final performance on September 7th of the long-running Broadway musical Rent will be filmed for "future screenings in movie theaters around the country," according to Playbill.com. No doubt "director" Chris Columbus's execrable film version of Rent wasn't document enough of this landmark show.

This effort is apparently part of a new venture from Sony Pictures called The Hot Ticket, which will film live events such as concerts, sporting events, and arts performances for viewing in special digital movie theaters nationwide. Among the other Hot Ticket performances will be Cirque du Soleil's music concert Delirium, which is currently touring Europe.

I wonder if, after the new filmed version of Rent is through touring the country, the movie will then be released on DVD. It certainly stands to reason: Why would Sony eschew this additional revenue stream?

I also wonder if the notion of filmed Broadway shows will catch on, much in the same way that The Metropolitan Opera has started simulcasting productions in movie theaters nationwide. Of course, operas are more limited-run events, and often quite dependent on the particular performers involved. And operas don't tend to tour the country as Broadway musicals do. But then, the recent MTV broadcast of Legally Blonde has demonstrated that people will still see a show live even when they've seen it on TV. The show is even going to tour as part of Broadway Across America's 2008-2009 season.

Of course, future efforts similar to the Rent event will be contingent on whether this one makes money. So, if you're interested in seeing more Broadway shows at a theater near you, you might want to check out Rent when it comes to your cineplex.

Follies Movie and Merrily Revival

BroadwayWorld.com recently held an online chat at with Stephen Sondheim in conjunction with the current Roundabout Theater production of Sunday in the Park With George. During the chat, both Sondheim and Todd Haimes, the Roundabout's artistic director, hinted at some intriguing upcoming projects.

First, Haimes confirmed that Roundabout is planning a revival of Stephen Sondheim's Merrily We Roll Along as part of its 2009-2010 season. The show is slated to be directed by longtime Sondheim collaborator James Lapine, and not the show's original director Harold Prince. Also, Sondheim himself revealed plans afoot to film a movie version of Follies, with what he described as "a major star" and "a major director," although he wouldn't yet reveal who they are.

Sondheim seems to have reached the point in his career where, rather than forging new works, he's cultivating new versions of shows from his considerable catalog. As excited as I am about the prospect of both a Merrily revival and a Follies movie, I'd be much more excited if he was, to borrow a line from Dot in Sunday, working on something new. In the chat, he confirmed that at one point he was considering a musical version of the Bill Murray film "Groundhog Day," but he eventually dropped that idea because, and I paraphrase, the movie is already perfect the way it is and to musicalize it would be gilding the lily. (Hmm...)

But anyway, back to the stuff that actually is in the works. Merrily is arguably the most beloved flop of all time, and certainly Sondheim's. This is probably the only way the show would ever make it back to Broadway: in a limited run under the auspices of a non-profit. I list it on my page of fascinating failures: although it has a marvelous score, I've never seen the show work, in any incarnation. I will be very interested to see if Lapine can bring out the heart of this cold but admirable work.

Because the problem with the show is not that the plot goes backwards in time; it's that we don't care enough about these people. The changes that Sondheim and company have made over the years have made the show different, not better. The added and rearranged songs, if anything, make the show more cynical and heartless. Here's hoping they go back to something a little closer to the original, at least in terms of the score.

As for the Follies movie, although I'm excited personally, I can't imagine that such a property would have any real commercial value. It's an art-house film at best. A friend of mine speculated that the "major star" might could be Barbra Streisand. "They're inseparable," he says. That would certainly lift the movie above art-house status. (Would Babs play Phyllis or Sally? My bet would be Phyllis.)

Care to speculate, dear reader, as to who that major star and major director might be?

Javier Bardem Drops Out of Nine Movie

Bad news, folks.

Oscar winner and major hottie Javier Bardem has dropped out of director Rob Marshall's movie version of Maury Yeston's Nine. Bardem is reportedly suffering from exhaustion and is taking a year off to recoup. Whether we can really believe that remains to be seen, but there haven't yet been any reports of "creative differences." (I'm always kind of nonplussed by these people who take a year off to recharge. Must be nice.)

So, who's going to replace him? No word yet, but certain names spring to mind as possibilities: Antonio Banderas, Hugh Jackman, Freddie Prinze Jr.

Kidding.

Care to speculate, dear reader, as to who will replace the departing Mr. Bardem?

Upcoming DVD Releases

There are quite a few DVDs coming out soon that should be of great interest to theater aficionados. Here's a sampling:

COMPANY: As I watch and re-watch the TV broadcast of the recent Broadway revival of Stephen Sondheim's Company, the production is really starting to grow on me. As I said in my review, when I saw this show at the Ethel Barrymore Theater, I found it smart but cold. I was seated in the balcony, which made it hard to connect with the performers; it's not really the sort of show that plays well to the back row. But there's something about the PBS-telecast version that brings out the tension and subtlety of John Doyle's direction. Raul Esparza and Barbara Walsh in particular were a lot more impressive on the small screen than in person. The street date for the DVD is May 20th, but if you order it through New York's Channel Thirteen, they'll ship it to you in March. Will I order from Channel Thirteen, or wait for the regular release? Do you even have to ask?

SWEENEY TODD: Another DVD release that I'm eagerly awaiting is Tim Burton's movie version of "Sweeney Todd." In my review, I called the movie a "masterwork," and I'll be interested to see if it holds up to repeated viewings. I imagine that it will, in particular the nuanced performances by Johnny Depp and Helena Bonham Carter. (I will probably fast-forward through most of the really gory stuff. I'm kind of a puss when it comes to graphic violence.) The film will be available in both a regular version and a two-disc special edition. Which will I be getting? Do you even have to ask?

ENCHANTED: I haven't really been going to the movies all that much lately, but in addition to "Sweeney Todd," I also saw "Enchanted" during the recent holiday season. I remember seeing the preview one time when I took my eight-year-old niece Alyssa to see something or other, and I turned to her and said, "Oh, sweetie, we have to see that." She agreed, and we both had a blast when we finally got to see it, as I mentioned in my review. I particularly had fun picking out all the theater people both in front of the camera and behind the scenes. Not only was Amy Adams utterly disarming as Giselle, but the cast also included two dreamboats: Patrick Dempsey and James Marsden. What's not to love?

Also of interest: The recent ABC broadcast of A Raisin in the Sun, the 1955 film version of Kismet, and the 1961 film of Fanny. Will I be getting them all? Do you even have to ask?

BlueGobo.com: YouTube for Theater Geeks

I recently I posted about YouTube, and the plethora of musical-related videos one can find therein. Reader Scot Colford, co-author of the Just Giblets blog, tipped me off to BlueGobo.com, which is sort of a YouTube for musicals, with clips from the Tony Awards, "The Ed Sullivan show," the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades, and other sources. (Much obliged, Scot.) Lots and lots of good stuff here, and once I figure out how to post, I hope to be adding stuff from my extensive collection. Here are some clips on BlueGobo that you simply don't want to miss:

Little Shop of Horrors: When the DVD for the movie version of Little Shop first came out, it contained a black-and-white version of the original ending. You know: the one in which everybody dies, as they do in the stage version of the show. After the studio showed the movie to preview audiences, they said it was too much of a downer, so the studio re-shot the ending and made it all happy and nice nice, essentially destroying the movie, and removing whatever satirical intent it may have had. Well, apparently producer David Geffen never signed off on releasing the DVD with the original ending, and when he found out about it, he promptly ordered a recall. Of course, this made what few copies that actually got out into the hands of the general public instant collector's items, and these precious gems periodically sell on eBay for big bucks. Well, if you've always wanted to see what that original ending was like, it's now just a mouse click away.

The Will Rogers Follies: On the Forbidden Broadway: Special Victims Unit CD, Gerard Alessandrini refers to Thoroughly Modern Millie as "the worst best musical ever." Much as I admire Alessandrini and his work, I'm going to have to respectfully disagree with him. My nominee for that ignominious distinction would have to be The Will Rogers Follies, which won the 1991 Tony Award over two vastly superior shows -- The Secret Garden and Once on This Island -- and one show that would become far more successful, at least financially, Miss Saigon. Although these other shows have, to varying extents, survived in regional and international productions, Will Rogers is virtually forgotten. But the show did receive a television broadcast in Japan, probably because the original show was produced "in association with" Japan Satellite Broadcasting Inc. Although Will Rogers as a whole didn't really work, there was a lot of great stuff in it, mostly thanks to director/choreographer Tommy Tune. BlueGobo has two clips from the Japan airing, including the terrific opening number "Will-A-Mania" and the act-one finale. You can see the best number from the show -- "Favorite Son," which the cast performed on the Tony Awards broadcast -- over on YouTube.

Buck White: One of the greatest musical-theater oddities of all time, Buck White starred Cassius Clay. That's right: Muhammad Ali. It played 7 performances in 1969. The cast performed "We Came in Chains" on "The Ed Sullivan Show" after the show had closed. The number speaks for itself, but it's interesting to note that Muhammad Ali wasn't all that bad as a singer. Of course, we know he had his own stunning sense of theatricality, but he could also carry a tune. Go figure.