Everything I Know I Learned from Musicals

Cast and Logo Changes for Shrek Musical

According to the New York Times, the new Broadway-bound musical Shrek has undergone some casting changes. Chester Gregory (Cry-Baby) played the part of Donkey during the show's Seattle tryout, but Daniel Breaker (Passing Strange) will replace him when the show comes to New York.

The producers haven't said anything as to why they're making the change, but such silence usually speaks volumes. It's likely that they simply weren't happy with Gregory's performance, and they're not going to take any chances with such a high-profile production. Breaker is a very dynamic performer, so he should be able to fill Donkey's hooves very nicely.

Kecia Lewis-Evans (The Drowsy Chaperone), who played the Dragon in Seattle, has also left the show, owing to a "redefinition" of the Dragon character. Lewis-Evans had been providing the character's voice while a number of chorus members articulated the large Dragon costume. The creators have decided to spread the character's vocal work among the chorus members, obviating Lewis-Evans' services. Actress and show have parted by "mutual consent."

I've been hearing decent things about the show from folks who've seen the Seattle tryout. Apparently, whereas the original "Shrek" movie poked fun at fairy tales, and Disney in particular, the stage show sends up other Broadway shows, which presumably includes Disney productions. The show is running at about 3 hours, so it definitely needs some pruning, but apparently it's lively, fun, and tuneful.

Among other changes the Shrek staff have made, there's the show's new logo (see above). Perhaps the Shrek folk thought the original logo (see left) was a bit too close to the visual identity of the "Shrek" movies. I'm not entirely sure that I like the new version, but it's definitely bolder, and will be more likely to stand out amid the marketing noise of Times Square. I've already begun to notice it cropping up during my recent trips to NYC.

American Psycho - The Musical?

This is a joke, right?

According to Playbill.com, a musical version of the notorious Bret Easton Ellis novel America Psycho is aiming for Broadway. The novel concerns a consumer-brand-obsessed New York investment banker who is also a heartless serial killer. Geez, that just screams Broadway musical, doesn't it?

Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm the guy who keeps saying that there's no such thing as a bad idea for a musical, only bad execution. But I have a really hard time thinking of a chainsaw-wielding psychopath singing and dancing (or, perhaps, slashing and mutilating in 4/4 time) at the Winter Garden, or even the Belasco.

On the other hand, given the current crisis in the financial sector, perhaps the time is right for a musical version of what appears to be a satire of Wall Street morality and obsessive materialism. I haven't read the book or seen the 2000 "American Psycho" movie, which starred Christian Bale as Patrick Bateman, mostly because I'm a total puss when it comes to violence, and both book and film seemed pretty graphic. I did see Evil Dead: the Musical, which was gory as hell, but in a very cartoonish way. Something tells me that American Psycho: the Musical will be anything but a cartoon. 

No word yet on dates or creative staff, but apparently the Bateman character had a special fondness for the music of Phil Collins. [Insert joke about Collins butchering the score to Tarzan here.] Any conjectures, dear reader, as to composers/lyricists who could do American Psycho justice?

Upcoming Musicals: Rebecca, Paradise Found, First Wives Club

Yes, folks, Rent has closed, after a long and healthy run. But the great thing about Broadway these days is that there are always plenty of shows to fill the void. Here's a sampling of some of the musicals on the horizon.

REBECCA: Based on the Daphne du Maurier novel, also the source of the Oscar-winning movie, directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Lawrence Olivier and Joan Fontaine.
Staff: Book and lyrics by Michael Kunze, who got his start in musical theater translating hit shows into German, including The Phantom of the Opera and Mamma Mia. Music by Sylvester Levay. Direction by Francesca Zambello (The Little Mermaid).
Status: Premiered in Vienna in 2006, and is currently aiming for a 2010 Broadway opening.
My Take: I'm a big fan of the 1940 movie, and the story would seem to lend itself nicely to musical treatment. The show has apparently had numerous successful productions in Europe, but then, so did Dance of the Vampires, which Kunze also wrote. (Uh-oh)

PARADISE FOUND: Inspired by the Joseph Roth novel The Tale of the 1002nd Night. Set in 1870's Vienna, it tells the story of the shah of Persia's infatuation with an Austrian countess.
Staff: Direction by Harold Prince. Music by Johann Strauss II and Jonathan Tunick. Lyrics by Ellen Fitzhugh (Grind), and a libretto by Richard Nelson (Chess, James Joyce's The Dead).
Cast: Mandy Patinkin, John Cullum, Judy Kaye and Shuler Hensley
Status: The Broadway production will begin rehearsals next year. No word yet on whether there will be a tryout production, but the Center Theatre Group in Los Angeles, which runs the Ahmanson Theatre and the Mark Taper Forum, produced a reading in April 2008.
My Take: Not to be confused with Angels, the upcoming musical based on Milton's Paradise Lost (and, according to at least one cast member, embarrassingly bad.) The cast and crew of Paradise Found are a veritable Who's Who of Broadway royalty, but that's no guarantee of anything, as we saw in the extremely disappointing Lovemusik, Prince's last Broadway outing, which also lacked an original score. Prince recently told Michael Riedel of the New York Post that, despite the recent economic boom on Broadway, there's been a lack of real creativity. That's arguably true. But if Lovemusik is all that Prince has to offer in response, then his admonishments fall on deaf ears. Put up or shut up, Hal.

FIRST WIVES CLUB: Based on the 1996 movie of the same name.
Staff: Boasts a score by Motown writers Lamont Dozier, Brian Holland and Eddie Holland. ("How Sweet It Is," "Baby I Need Your Loving," "Stop! In the Name of Love," "You Can't Hurry Love" and "I Can't Help Myself.") The librettist is Tony-Award winner Rupert Holmes (The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Curtains). The director will be Francesca Zambello (see Rebecca above, also the Guthrie's Little House on the Prairie).
Cast: Nothing announced yet, but Liz Smith recently reported that the producers are planning to approach Bernadette Peters, Stockard Channing, and Megan Mullally.
Status: The show is scheduled to play the Old Globe in San Diego in the summer of 2009, prior to Broadway.
My Take: The popular-movie-gone-Broadway genre is officially tired, and I've always found the movie a bit nasty and mean-spirited. Also, the show is a bit too close in tone to 9 to 5, which will precede The First Wives Club on Broadway by at least a year. So, let's just say that it's not first on my list of shows to see. But I have a few friends in San Diego whom I keep meaning to visit. Maybe I'll pop out for one of the tryout performances. (You hear that, Stevie?)

Shrek: Is There a Doctor in the Swamp?

As a number of media outlets reported earlier this week, Rob Ashford, the Tony-winning choreographer and incipient director, has been called in to Seattle to provide a "fresh pair of eyes" to the very-much-above-the-radar new musical Shrek. Ashford was supposed to be at the helm of the now-postponed Brigadoon revival this fall, but...well...now he isn't. [Sniff]

BroadwayWorld.com referred to Ashford as "joining the creative team" of Shrek, without specifying what his role would be. Well, the show already has a director (Avenue Q's Jason Moore) and a choreographer (Josh Prince), so Ashford must have been called in as a "show doctor."

Does this mean the show is in trouble? Not necessarily. It could just be that first-time producers Dreamworks Theatricals are hedging their bets to make sure that the show isn't an expensive, high-profile embarrassment. Many terrific musicals have had trouble out of town, and have benefited greatly from outside help. Of course, others have failed despite numerous infusions of external creative input.

Shrek began previews in Seattle on August 14th and is scheduled to open there September 10th. Anyone out there seen it yet? Are we looking at another Hairspray or another Young Frankenstein? (Both shows had Seattle tryout runs.) Or will Shrek wind up being something artistically and financially in between?

Turn of the Century at the Goodman

Although Michael Riedel of the New York Post had reported that the new musical Turn of the Century was having trouble raising its capitalization, the show appears to be on track for its September opening at the Goodman Theater in Chicago.

The show will feature a long-overdue return to directing for Tommy Tune (Nine, Grand Hotel). Tune has spent the last decade or so performing in Vegas, in night clubs, and even (Great Honk!) on cruise ships, so the prospect of another Tune-directed book show is welcome, indeed.

But, get this: he won't be doing the choreography for Turn of the Century. Boston Conservatory grad Noah Racey (Curtains) will handle that task. What up with that? Now, Racey's a very talented guy, but c'mon this is Tommy Tune here. Could it be that the 69-year-old Tune is feeling his age? Or does he want to focus exclusively on directing this time, given that he hasn't directed a Broadway show since the 1994 Day-Glo bedecked revival of Grease?

Turn of the Century focuses on a down-and-out singer named Dixie Wilson (Rachel York) and a piano playing Lothario named Billy Clark (Jeff Daniels). The show's plot, according to TheaterMania is as follows: "At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve 1999, the century turns, but in the wrong direction: the duo is catapulted back in time, before the hit songs of the 20th century have been created. Together, Billy and Dixie co-opt the songs that make the whole world sing, becoming the stars they've dreamed of being."

An interesting premise, but also an excuse not to create an original score: the show will feature standards from the creators of the Great American Songbook, including Irving Berlin, Rodgers and Hart, and Rodgers and Hammerstein. Of course, it all depends on how book writers Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice (Jersey Boys) execute the story, but the lack of an original score was one of the things that made Bob Fosse's Big Deal a Big Disappointment.

Turn of the Century will run at the Goodman from September 19th to October 26th. No word yet on whether the show will have a Broadway afterlife, but with all that big-name talent, it's hard to imagine that a move to New York isn't somehow in the back of everyone's mind.

Vanities Headed for Broadway in February

As some of the productions originally announced for this season fall through (Godspell, Brigadoon, Nice Work If You Can Get It), other productions have cropped up to take their place.("Recession? What recession?")

The new musical Vanities, currently playing at the Pasadena Playhouse, will transfer to Broadway in February 2009 at a TBD Shubert Theater. The show opens this week in Pasadena, and continues through September 28th. The Pasadena cast features Lauren Kennedy (Spamalot), Sarah Stiles (Avenue Q), and Anneliese van der Pol (Beauty and the Beast) playing three high school friends and cheerleaders who mature and evolve over a 25-year span.

Vanities sports a book by Jack Heifner, who wrote the 1976 play upon which the musical is based, and music and lyrics by David Kirshenbaum (Summer of '42). Dan Knechtges (Xanadu) will provide the musical staging. Heifner's play ran for 1,785 performances Off-Broadway and has become a staple in regional theaters, presumably because of its small, all-female cast and sentimental subject matter.

For me, the most interesting person involved in the musical Vanities is the delightful Judith Ivey, who will direct. Ivey has graced the New York stage numerous times as an actress (most recently in the lackluster revival of Follies), but to date has not directed on Broadway. Great actors don't automatically make great directors (see John Gielgud reference below), so it will be interesting to see if Ivey can bring her undeniable spark to a show in which she's not performing.

With a cast of three and a presumably modest budget, will Vanities be the next little musical that could? Or will it be Glory Days with estrogen?

Cast Set for Romantic Poetry

Although the upcoming Broadway season has its share of interesting musicals, some of the most intriguing new works this year will be opening Off Broadway. Of course, there's the "new" Sondheim work, Road Show, at the Public Theater. And in the spring, the Lincoln Center Theater will present Happiness, which will team up Grey Gardens pair Scott Frankel (music) and Michael Korie (lyrics) with Contact creators Susan Stroman (direction/choreography) and John Weidman (book). 

I'm certainly looking forward to both of those shows, but I'm actually most intrigued by Romantic Poetry, the upcoming musical by John Patrick Shanley (book, lyrics, and direction) and Henry Krieger (music). Shanley is better known to the world as the Academy-Award-winning screenwriter of "Moonstruck"and the Pulitzer-Prize- and Tony-Award-winning playwright of Doubt. And Krieger is the man who gave us Dreamgirls (yay!) and Side Show (boo!).

The Manhattan Theater Club recently announced the cast for Romantic Poetry, which will feature Ivan Hernandez (The Fantasticks), Mark Linn-Baker (A Year With Frog and Toad), Jeb Brown (Ring of Fire), Jerry Dixon (Once on This Island), and Emily Swallow (High Fidelity). MTC lists the following synopsis for the show: "Connie of Woodmere has just married Fred of Newark, but her exes are back in the picture and not sure they approve of the union. Mary of Greenpoint climbs Frankie of Little Italy's fire escape with amorous erotic intent, but things go awry. They are all mad and they are all sane and they are all creating Romantic Poetry." Sounds a bit "Moonstruck" to me, but that's certainly not a bad thing.

So the show seems to have quite a bit going for it, plus it's an original musical, which sets it apart as wheat in a field of derivative chaff. This is going to sound a bit hypocritical of me, but wouldn't it be great if Shanley were to turn "Moonstruck" into a musical? I mean, if we're going to have musicalized movies, why not start with the best? And let's get "Tootsie" on the boards, too, while we're at it. Those are two movies that I'd pay to see on the Broadway stage.

Anyway, Romantic Poetry begins previews September 30th at City Center Stage 1, towards an October 28th opening, and is currently scheduled to run until December 14th. I'm planning to see the show sometime in October. (I just joined the MTC, and I'm waiting for my confirmed dates for Romantic Poetry and for To Be or Not to Be.) I'm hoping to report back that Shanley has successfully crossed media and crafted a show worthy of his impressive pedigree.

West Side Story Revival Sets Opening Date

First, I want to thank all of you out there who submitted your suggestions for what shows I should see in New York over the weekend. As you may know, I went down to see Hair in Central Park, and had a few extra show slots. On Friday night, I wound up seeing Gypsy again, and then on Saturday afternoon I took in my first professional production of The Fantasticks. I'll be posting my reviews of all three shows over the next few days. (In short: loved it, loved it, loved it. When does that ever happen?)

So, anyway, on with the news. The producers of the upcoming Broadway revival of West Side Story have announced that the show will begin previews at a TBD Nederlander theater (perhaps the Nederlander Theater itself?) on February 23rd towards a March 19th opening date. The show will play an out-of-town tryout at the National Theater in Washington, DC in December and January.

Librettist Arthur Laurents will direct, and has previously made much hay about the fact that he intends to give the show more verisimilitude, including making the kids more realistically bloodthirsty, and the central lovers Maria and Tony more sexually driven. He also plans to weave Spanish throughout more of the dialog and lyrics. (Presumably with lyricist Stephen Sondheim's blessing?)

No word yet on any casting, nor on when the tickets will go on sale. I'll keep you posted. I know I'm ready to see a first-rate revival of this landmark show. And after seeing Laurents' Gypsy again last Friday, I'm confident that, despite his age (he just turned 91), he's certainly up for the job. But theater has a weird, ineffable sort of alchemy, and there are never any guarantees. Let's hope Laurents and his creative staff can work some magic on this highly anticipated production.

Guys and Dolls: This Time We Mean It

Speaking of on-again-off-again productions, the Frank Loesser estate keeps threatening us with yet another revival of Guys and Dolls. Originally, it was supposed to be an import of the recent London production, helmed by director Michael Grandage and choreographer Rob Ashford. For whatever reason, that didn't happen.

Now it appears that the Jersey Boys team will be taking the reins, with Des McAnuff directing and Sergio Trujillo providing choreography. The show is slated to play a TBD Nederlander house, which probably means it's going to play the Nederlander Theater, unless for come reason Hairspray (Neil Simon Theater) or Legally Blonde (Palace Theater) close in the interim. 

According to Jo Sullivan Loesser, this will have been the "longest period ever between Broadway productions of Guys and Dolls." With all due respect to the widow Loesser, that doesn't appear to be entirely accurate. According to IBDB, there have been five Broadway productions thus far, and if you go by opening dates, then yes this will have been the longest stretch without Guys and Dolls on the boards. But if you count from *closing* dates to the next opening date, then the current Guys and Dolls dry spell (fourteen years) actually comes in second to the one between the 1976 all-black revival and the acclaimed and most recent 1992 production (fifteen years).

But who am I to quibble?

Am I the only one who has little or no interest in seeing Guys and Dolls again? Will they have to bring in Ewan MacGregor and Jane Krakowski, or a reasonable facsimile, to put the butts in the seats, as they did in London? If memory serves, the London production followed with Patrick Swayze and then Don Johnson. I'll probably see it no matter who's in it, but I see nearly everything. The question is, will John and Jane Q. Public?

13 Sets Broadway Dates

The producers of the Broadway production of the Jason Robert Brown musical 13 recently announced that the show will begin previews on September 16th at the Bernard Jacobs Theater, toward an October 5th opening. Tickets for the show went on sale earlier today at the Jacobs box office and through Telecharge.

I'm really looking forward to seeing this show again. When I saw 13 at the Goodspeed's Norma Terris Theater, I found it a very promising piece, featuring catchy songs and a humorous book. (See my review.) The show needed some fine tuning, and some recasting, but on the whole I thought it was a strong and entertaining show.

I'm really liking the new visual identity that the show's new Web site reflects. The new logo (above) is clean and vibrant, and less jittery than the previous logo. (Click through on my review link above to see the old one.) The Web site also features links at which to download show's insidiously catchy title track and to watch a music video featuring same.

The full cast for the Broadway production hasn't been announced yet, but the Web site features pictures of many of the cast members from the recent Goodspeed run. It's hard to imagine incorporating the images of kids who didn't make the cut into the new brand identity for the show. That would be kind of mean. The home page features a picture with seven kids from the Goodspeed cast and six new faces. If this picture does reflect the Broadway cast, then the producers seem to have made some good decisions about who would make the move to New York. 

I'll be really interested to see what JRB and his collaborators -- librettists Dan Elish and Robert Horn, director Jeremy Sams (Noises Off) and choreographer Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific, Godspell)  -- have done to the piece to make it more effective. Watch this space for my review, sometime during previews.

The Story of My Life at Goodspeed

Goodspeed Musicals recently announced that it would host a pre-Broadway tryout run of The Story of My Life at its Norma Terris Theater, recent home to the similarly Broadway-bound musical 13.

The show features music and lyrics by Neil Bartram and a book by Brian Hill. The pair have worked together previously on The Nightingale and the Rose and Somewhere in the World. The current production will feature direction by Tony Award winner Richard Maltby, Jr. 

The Story of My Life premiered at CanStage in Toronto in the fall of 2006 with Brent Carver and Jeffrey Kuhn. The two-person cast at the Goodspeed will comprise Malcolm Gets and Will Chase, and the pair will presumably man the Broadway run as well.

It would be great if the very talented Chase finally got to appear in a decent, long-running musical after his abbreviated Lennon and High Fidelity gigs. Chase is certainly a busy actor, having played replacement and/or standby roles in The Full Monty, Aida, and currently Rent, in which he will be the final Roger when the show closes next month. But he's yet to create a role in a show that lasted more than 50 performances. The equally talented Gets has had even less luck with Broadway tuners (the lovely and underrated Amour lasted just 17 performances), although he's seen plenty of musical work Off-Broadway, including Hello Again, A New Brain, and the 1994 revival of a thoroughly revised Merrily We Roll Along.

The Story of My Life will run at the Goodspeed from October 10th to November 2nd, and is aiming toward a January opening on Broadway at a theater TBD. I'll certainly be taking in one of the Goodspeed performances, in the hope of spreading the good news about the show and its cast.

Shrek Score Preview

I managed to snag a copy of the "orchestra test" recording of the upcoming musical Shrek. It's definitely not a "demo," because it features full orchestrations and the recently announced Broadway cast members. So it's a bit more reasonable to use this recording as an indication of the quality of the overall score than it would be to use a composer's demo or a backer's audition. It's still not totally fair, of course, to judge the show by these four tracks alone, but with the proper caveats in mind, it makes for an illuminating glimpse at one of the most anticipated shows of the season.

Jeanine Tesori's score reflects a variety of influences, from classical to rock and roll, sometimes within the same number. David Lindsay-Abaire's lyrics are serviceable and often inspired, although they sometimes feature some pretty arcane vocabulary. One song rhymes "pictures" with "strictures." I'm all for fancy vocab, if it fits the character, and in this case it seems to, but it was nonetheless jarring to hear.

The recording starts with a very ambitious track, featuring multiple shifts in time and venue, called "Big, Bright, Beautiful World," which is presumably the opening number. It's not the most impressive song qua song, but it effectively sets up the plight of Shrek, the central ogre, in a way that the original movie doesn't even address.

The second track is a comic introduction song for the Donkey character, called "I Could Get Used to This," which serves its function to moderate comic effect. But the track does illustrate that Chester Gregory II (Cry-Baby) was a very good choice for this part, at least judging by his energetic delivery of this song.

"I Know It's Today," the third track, is by far the best song on the recording, featuring the Princess Fiona at three different ages, comparing her plight to those of the princesses in various fairy tales, and growing increasingly more frustrated as the days mount up. Here's another sequence that illuminates back story that the movie leaves as subtext. There are some really clever lyrics in this song, and it features some of Tesori's most melodic and memorable music. Plus, it showcases the marvelous Sutton Foster, who seems as though she's going to be quite a presence indeed. 

The final track is the most perfunctory, and features Shrek in what appears to be an 11-o'clock number with a gospel edge about shutting out the world, called "The Wall." Perhaps the song will be more effective in context, but divorced of any setup the song comes off as a generic "Screw the World" ballad. But the song does give us a glimpse at what we can expect from leading man Brian D'Arcy James's in the central role. James is a versatile and talented performer, but I was a bit surprised when he was cast as Shrek. I was expecting an actor of more...substance, someone like Kevin Chamberlain or Shuler Hensley. But, based at least on this recording, James is certainly up to the task both vocally and dramatically.

On the whole, the recording makes me cautiously optimistic about the artistic merits of this would-be blockbuster show. I'll be seeing the show during previews the week before Thanksgiving, so you, dear reader, will be among the first to know whether Shrek is a hit or a big green bomb.

Angels Cancels Louisiana Tryout

The Broadway-bound musical Angels, based on John Milton's Paradise Lost, has canceled its tryout at the Strand Theater in Shreveport, LA. Apparently the theater couldn't handle the show's technical requirements. According to the producers, the show will feature "spectacular aerial choreography, unprecedented on Broadway." (Geez, better than Tarzan?) Angels is still aiming for a Broadway bow during the 2008-2009 season at a theater TBD.

The Angels cast will feature Robert Cuccioli (Jekyll and Hyde), Jessica Grové (Sunday in the Park With George), Nicholas Rodriguez (Tarzan) and Todd Buonopane (The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee). The show has music by Ken Lai, book and lyrics by Lai and Marcus Cheong, and will feature direction by Rich Fowler. All are Broadway newcomers, and hail from Australia.

Will this be show come to be known as "the one where the angels and devils fly around the stage"? It's always a danger when the show's lead-in press touts the physical production values. But will it also feature quality songs and writing? Well, check out the samples from the score on the show's MySpace page. The songs have a very derivative, Brooklyn-esque feel about them. One song, titled "One True Friend," features the following lyric: "The world's a bitter place to be, where malice, greed, and hate run free." Other song titles include "Let There Be Light," "I Believe in Angels," and "I'm Not Bad."

Bottom line: It ain't looking good.

Nice Work Postpones Boston Run

I just got my Broadway Across America season-ticket confirmation, and it lists my date to see the "new" musical Nice Work If You Can Get It as TBD. Then today's Boston Globe reports that the Boston bow for Nice Work has been "officially postponed," with no new dates currently scheduled.

This is certainly no surprise, given the recent shakeup in the production staff for the supposedly Broadway-bound musical. Original director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall left the show when star Harry Connick, Jr. fired his agent Scott Landis from working on the show. Marshall happens to be in a relationship with Landis, so she left as well. Apparently the producers haven't had an easy time replacing Marshall, at least in time to get the show into rehearsal for the Boston tryout.

The show appears to be a reworking of the Gershwin musical Oh, Kay!, and features a book by Joe DiPietro (I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change and All Shook Up). The score will comprise standards from the Gershwin songbook. Are we really at such a great loss if we miss out on yet another Gershwin jukebox musical? I mean, it would be nice to see Connick on the boards again, but unless they're able to attract some world-class talent to direct and choreograph this baby, we'll probably end up with another The Boy From Oz: a show that attracts audiences, but adds little or nothing to the artistic development of the musical-theater canon.

Godspell Revival Sets Opening Date

The upcoming Broadway revival of Stephen Schwartz's Godspell will begin previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theater on September 29th (And what's the significance of that date, Ricky?), towards an October 23rd opening.

As previously announced, the show will feature Gavin Creel (Thoroughly Modern Millie, La Cage aux Folles) as Jesus and "American Idol" finalist Diana DeGarmo (Hairspray) as one of his followers.

Although it might be because I've done Godspell twice (hasn't everybody?), and seen it innumerable times more, I can't say that I'm all that excited about this new production. But what do I know about producing musical revivals? I never would have given the green light for bringing A Chorus Line, Les Miserables, or Grease back to Broadway, but each of those runs has been profitable, some abundantly so. And I had serious doubts about yet another Gypsy revival, but so far that production seems to be doing solid, if not blockbuster, business.

So I'll leave the business prognostications to others. I just hope that director Daniel Goldstein (All Shook Up) and choreographer Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific) can come up with some way to make this creaky old show fresh. The piece certainly lends itself to creative/conceptual/pretentious interpretations. I remember one local high school production that got around the show's minimal casting requirements by including a chorus of underclass-persons who acted as the fence. (The crucifixion scene was an unintentional hoot.) I've seen the prodigal son parable told with puppets, with projections, and in sign language. I've even seen an all-male version of the show at a Catholic seminary. (The performer who sang "Turn Back, Oh Man" played it drunk, a la Foster Brooks.)

Often, in their zeal to find some new way to present the show, people seem to lose track of its message. I vividly recall one local version of Godspell (Ricky?) in which most of the performers wore revealing cutoffs and midriff-baring T-shirts, and performed slinky, sultry dances like something out of "Flashdance," or an old Janet Jackson video. ("Wait a minute. What's this show about again? Oh, yeah. That Jesus guy. Anyone seen my body glitter?")

Then there's the piece itself. There's no question that Godspell has a very strong score, but the book is sketchy and episodic, and that doesn't always work in the show's favor. It's the sort of show that pretty much anyone can pull off in a church basement or high school gym. (I've done both.) But when it comes to bringing it back to Broadway, the expectations are going to be a lot higher. I don't envy Goldstein and the task before him. But I'll certainly be making a trip to the Ethel Barrymore to see how he rises to the challenge.

9 to 5 Will Play the Marquis

Add another definite contender to the 2008-2009 Broadway musical season. (I think I may need to redo the upcoming-musical poll to the right.) The new tuner 9 to 5 has just booked the architecturally bland but highly visible Marquis Theater, recent landlord to the departed Cry-Baby, and possible temporary home to a proposed seasonal Broadway run for White Christmas.

After playing an out-of-town tryout at the Ahmanson Theatre in Los Angeles (September  3rd through October 19th), 9 to 5 will begin previews at the Marquis in March 2009 toward an April opening.The very busy Joe Mantello (the upcoming Roundabout Pal Joey) will direct, and recent Tony winner Andy Blankenbuehler will choreograph. The score by Dolly Parton will including her Oscar-nominated title song.

The show has already amassed a terrific slate of principle performers, including Allison Janney as Violet, Stephanie J. Block as Judy, Megan Hilty as Doralee, and Marc Kudisch as Mr. Hart. The recently announced ensemble will include Andy Karl (Mr. Orfeh) Justin Bohon (My Fair Lady tour), Ann Harada (Christmas Eve in Avenue Q), Lisa Howard (Miss Peretti in Spelling Bee), and Michael X. Martin (the stage manager in Curtains).

Yeah, yeah, yeah: It's another movie-turned-musical. But is that really such a bad thing? I mean, inherently? Do we complain when people adapt classic books into musicals? (Perhaps after the fact, we do. Frankenstein, anyone?) And can't musicals from "original" ideas (In My Life, Glory Days) suck just as much as some poorly crafted film-based tuner (Urban Cowboy, High Fidelity)? For the most part, I like to consider each project individually, and wait until I see how the creative staff execute the final show.

Except Dirty Dancing. Yeah, I'm going to see it, but I'm not even going to pretend that I'll enter the theater with an open mind. That mother is guilty until proven innocent.

Upcoming Musicals - Further Out

Following up on yesterday's list of immediately impending Broadway musicals, here are some shows that are a bit further out on the horizon:

EVER AFTER:
Source: Based on Drew Barrymore movie "Ever After," itself based loosely on the Cinderella story.
Cast: None yet announced.
Creators: Music by Zina Goldrich, lyrics by Marcy Heisler (Junie B. Jones, numerous Disney projects). Mauritius playwright Theresa Rebeck will co-write the book with Heisler.
Staff: Doug Hughes (Doubt, Mauritius) will direct, Rob Ashford will choreograph.
Status: The show will have a pre-Broadway tryout at San Francisco's Curran Theater in April 2009.
My Take: Goldrich and Heisler are unknown to me. Rebeck and Hughes are pros, but new to musical theater. Ashford's the only true musical veteran on board. I should probably see the movie before I make any grand proclamations about the quality of the source material, but I hear good things.

TURN OF THE CENTURY:
Source: None! (An original idea? What a concept.) The musical centers on a female singer who can't catch a break, and a male piano player. At the stroke of midnight on New Year's Eve 1999, they both receive a fantastical power and set out together to "discover" America's most popular songs.
Cast: Jeff Daniels and the always delightful Rachel York.
Creators: Book by Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice, of Jersey Boys fame. The score will comprise various standards "from the American songbook."
Staff: Tommy Tune will direct and choreograph.
Status: September 19th to 26th at the Goodman Theater in Chicago. Will the show head to Broadway after that?
My Take: That's a pretty dull, generic title, but any show that creates the possibility of Tommy Tune returning to New York is reason to celebrate. Compilations scores are never a good idea (Big Deal, anyone?), but this one seems to fit in with the theme of the show, so we'll have to see how they pull it off.

THE ADDAMS FAMILY:
Source: Duh.
Cast: No roles have yet been cast for the Broadway production, but Nathan Lane and Bebe Neuwirth will be part of reading in August. Lane was supposed to appear in the upcoming Catch Me If You Can, but according to Michael Riedel, "may find the role of Gomez Addams too good to pass up."
Creators: The very busy Marshall Brickman and Rick Elice are writing the book. The score will be by Andrew Lippa of The Wild Party fame.
Staff: Improbable Theater founders Phelim McDermott and Julian Crouch (Shockheaded Peter) will direct and design.
Status: Scheduled for the 2009-2010 Broadway season following an out-of-town tryout.
My Take: I'm not personally thrilled at the prospect of Morticia and Gomez bursting into song, but it could be fun if the creators find the right story to tell and the right way to tell it.

That's all for now. I'm off to New York City to see [title of show], Bash'd, and Damn Yankees. I'll also be revisiting a few shows, including Adding Machine, A Catered Affair, and Passing Strange. Look for my reviews next week.

Upcoming Musicals - Coming Soon

There's certainly no shortage of musicals, both new and classic, settling into Broadway berths for the next season. Some have already found a home and are even selling tickets (Shrek, Billy Elliot, A Tale of Two Cities, [title of show]). Other have been announced, but are either waiting for a suitable theater to open up, or just haven't started to sell tickets yet (The Story of My Life, Pure Country, 13). Then there are the shows that are a little bit further on the horizon, but remain distinct possibilities for the coming season:

GODSPELL:
Cast: Gavin Creel
Staff: The upcoming Broadway production will reunite the creative team from the recent Paper Mill Playhouse production: Daniel Goldstein (All Shook Up) will direct, and Christopher Gattelli (South Pacific, 13) will choreograph.
Status: Details have been scant, but according to Broadway.com, Godspell will begin previews at the Ethel Barrymore Theater in September and open in October.
My Take: "I know I've seen this show before, in some old high school gym, on someone's basement floor..."

VANITIES:
Cast: Lauren Kennedy, Sarah Stiles, and Anneliese van der Pol
Creators: Book by Jack Heifner, who wrote the play Vanities, upon which the musical is based. Music and lyrics David Kirshenbaum (Summer of '42)
Staff: Judith Ivey will direct, Dan Knechtges will choreograph.
Status: The show will play the Pasadena Playhouse from August 22 to September 28, before bowing on Broadway, reportedly in the fall 2008.
My Take: I saw the play many years ago, and recall it being fun but slight. A group of high school friends meet in the bleachers to talk about their lives: Will this wind up being Glory Days with girls?

9 TO 5:
Cast: Allison Janney, Stephanie J. Block, Megan Hilty, and Marc Kudisch
Creators: Score by Dolly Parton, book by Patricia Resnick, based on her original screenplay.
Staff: Directed by Joe Mantello, choreographed by recent Tony winner Andy Blankenbueler.
Status: Will play the Ahmanson Theater in Los Angeles from September 3rd to October 19th. Possible Broadway bow shortly thereafter?
My Take: Great source material, fantastic cast, and Dolly Parton's first Broadway score. The show has so much going for it, but then so did Cry-Baby.

Tomorrow: Upcoming Musicals - Further Out

Dirty Dancing Headed to Broadway?

The producers of the upcoming national tour of Dirty Dancing - The Classic Story on Stage are billing it as the "pre-Broadway American premiere."

Thanks for the warning.

I'll be catching the show during the Boston leg of its tour in February. Never let it be said that I'm unwilling to give even the most cynical, venal, and misconceived shows the opportunity to prove me wrong.

After all, I saw Happy Days. And after an extended period of intensive therapy, I may yet be able to mitigate the damage to my psyche. Just in time for Dirty Dancing.

A White Christmas at the Marquis?

Hey, if it worked for the Grinch...

Word has it that Irving Berlin's White Christmas may be coming to Broadway this season, possibly at the newly vacated Marquis Theater. (The theater's most recent tenant, Cry-Baby, closed on June 22nd.) The producers told Playbill.com that they are trying to work out an economic structure (i.e. union agreements) whereby the show can make a profit in only ten weeks.

White Christmas has been playing regional gigs for the past few holiday seasons in various cities, including San Francisco, Toronto, and Minneapolis, but it has yet to play New York City. The financial success of two limited engagements for Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas no doubt factored into the decision to bring the show to Broadway.

When I saw White Christmas in Boston last year, I thought it was professionally presented but a bit creaky. (Read my review.) It's no masterpiece, but it's certainly an enjoyable enough holiday diversion. The highlights were Randy Skinner's outstanding tap choreography, some enjoyable performances, and an engaging "aw shucks" quality to the proceedings, mainly due to Walter Bobbie's idiomatic direction. The show, IMHO, is actually better than the original "White Christmas" movie, of which I admittedly have never been a fan.

As was true of both incarnations of The Grinch, White Christmas will likely be ignored come Tony time, but the show will at least provide diversion -- and employment -- over the upcoming holiday season.