Everything I Know I Learned From Musicals

Upcoming Musicals - The 2010-2011 Broadway Season

In examining the past Broadway season, at least with regard to the new musicals, there's really only one word that sums up the general impact and quality of the offerings: meh.

But as Clarice once sang to Rudolph, there's always tomorrow.

Or rather, next season. Quite a few interesting shows are on the horizon, so as a service to my readers, I figured I'd provide a little preview, based on some of the new musicals that have been officially, and not-so-officially, announced for the upcoming Broadway season.

The Book of Mormon
Source: Well, in theory, it's based on the actual Book of Mormon. In reality, it comes from the warped and offensive minds of Matt Stone and Trey Parker, the guys behind "South Park."
Staff: The aforementioned "South Park" guys, as well as Jason Moore and Robert Lopez, the director and co-lyricist/co-composer, respectively of Avenue Q.
Cast: None yet announced.
Status: Slated to start performances in March 2011, at a theater TBD.
My take: Some people are offended by the very nature of the project. I say, go for it. In my opinion, nothing is above ridicule. My one hesitation is the fact that the musical offerings on the "South Park" show, as well as the terrific movie "South Park: Bigger, Longer and Uncut," tend to be rather pedestrian efforts, with bad prosody and forced rhyme. But the South Park/Avenue Q combination alone makes this one of the most intriguing possibilities for the new season.

Catch Me If You Can
Source: The 2002 Stephen Spielberg movie of the same name, based on the early life of con artist Frank Abagnale Jr.
Staff: Book by Terrence McNally, music and lyrics by Marc Shaiman and Scott Wittman, direction by Jack O'Brien, choreography by Jerry Mitchell.
Cast: The show had a tryout run at Seattle's 5th Avenue Theater last August, and the cast featured Aaron Tveit, Norbert Leo Butz, Kerry Butler, Linda Hart, and Tom Wopat. No word yet on whether any or all will return.
Status: The Seattle tryout got middling reviews, and the show is apparently under revision. But CMIYC is reportedly on track for Broadway in the spring of 2011. Mitigating factor: O'Brien and Mitchell are also involved in Love Never Dies (see below), which is also coming in the spring of 2011, and which appears to be in need of some major changes. (To say the very least.) Can both men do both shows?
My take: I haven't been blown away by what I've seen of the show. (Check out this video of the number "Live in Living Color," featuring Aaron Tveit.) But count this creative team out at your peril.  

Love Never Dies
Source: Well, technically, the show derives from Gaston Leroux's original book, Phantom of the Opera. But Love Never Dies features what appears to be an "original" story. 
Staff: The book and lyrics are by Glenn Slater and Ben Elton, music by Andrew Lloyd Webber. The London production was directed by Jack O'Brien and choreographed by Jerry Mitchell, and they are slated to repeat this roles on Broadway.
Cast: London cast members Ramin Karimloo and Sierra Boggess will reportedly recreate their roles in New York, playing the "The Guy With the Funny Mask" and "The Girl With the Funny Voice," respectively.
Status: The Broadway bow for Love Never Dies was reportedly pushed back from this coming fall due to an illness/injury that ALW is recovering from. Uh-huh. More likely, the delay is meant to accommodate a significant overhaul to the show. The London bow received decidedly mixed reviews, and Sir Lloyd Webber, who hasn't had a hit since...well, since The Phantom of the Opera (1988), has a lot riding on making sure the show works. 
My take: Oy. The show has been rather infamously dubbed Paint Never Dries by the fabulous West End Whingers. Other bloggers, including my friend Steve on Broadway, have panned the show as well. Hey, anything could happen, but things ain't looking good. 

Priscilla: Queen of the Desert
Source: The fabulous 1994 movie "The Adventures of Priscilla: Queen of the Desert."  
Staff: The book is by Broadway newcomers Stephan Elliot and Allan Scott. Direction by Simon Phillips. The score comprises such pop interpolations as "Go West," "I Love the Nightlife," and "I Will Survive."
Cast: Recent announcements indicate the cast will include major hottie Will Swenson and BoCo grad Nick Adams. Tony Sheldon will repeat his acclaimed London performance as Bernadette, the Terence Stamp role in the movie.
Status: The show will have a tryout run in Toronto in October before a Broadway bow at a theater TBD. (Vance, poodle, we expect a full report.)
My take: As always, I prefer an original score with my musicals. But I hear great things about the physical production, and I'm a big fan of the film. 

The Scottsboro Boys
Source: Based on the real-life case of the Scottsboro Boys, an infamous 1930s miscarriage of justice in the American south.
Staff: Direction and choreography by Susan Stroman, music by John Kander, lyrics by Fred Ebb, book by David Thompson.
Cast: TBD. But Brandon Victor Dixon, a standout among the Off-Broadway cast, will be appearing as Ray Charles in Unchain My Heart (see below) on Broadway this coming season, so he probably won't repeat his Scottsboro role on Broadway.
Status: The show premiered Off Broadway at the the Vineyard Theatre in February 2010 to very strong reviews. There was talk of bringing the show to Broadway this past season, but nothing came of it. Instead, the producers held off for the 2010-2011 season, and recently announced that the show will play the gorgeous and historic Lyceum Theatre. Prior to that, the show will play an eight-week run at the Guthrie Theater this summer. (Steve on Broadway, darling, we expect a full report)
My take: This was probably the best musical I saw all this past season. (Read my review of the Off-Broadway production.) I'm thrilled that the show will have a chance to reach a wider audience. And I can't wait to see it again.  

Spider-Man
Source: The Marvel comic Spider-Man.
Staff: Direction and design by Julie Taymor, score by Bono and The Edge. Book by Taymor and Glen Berger. (Um...who?)
Cast: Who knows? They've already lost Alan Cumming and Evan Rachel Wood due to the ridiculous production delays. Word has it Patrick Page may take Cumming's place as the Green Lantern, or Hornet, or Goblin, or whatever. And someone named Reeve Carney is supposed to be playing Spider-Man.
Status: Oy and double oy. Spider-Man is easily the biggest current joke on Broadway. Word on the street puts the budget at a laughable $50 million, which could eventually creep up to $60 million. ( Who are these producers? "A fool and his money...") That's more than twice the estimated budgets for such bloated would-be hits as Young Frankenstein, The Little Mermaid, and Shrek.
My take: Well, I can't say I'm looking forward to it. But whether it's a hit or a bust, it's a must-see. 

Unchain My Heart
Source: Based on the life of Ray Charles.
Staff: Libretto by Suzan-Lori Parks, winner of the 2002 Pulitzer Prize for Drama for her play, Topdog/Underdog. Music from the Ray Charles songbook. Directed by Sheldon Epps. Choreographed by Kenneth L. Roberson.
Cast: Brandon Victor Dixon will play Ray. Nikki Renee Daniels will play his wife Della.
Status: The show has booked the Barrymore Theatre. Performances begin in October.
My take: This show kinda came out of nowhere for me. I haven't heard anything about any workshops or regional productions, although I'm sure they've taken place. But the only things that interest me here are Suzan-Lori Parks and Brandon Victor Dixon. Otherwise, it looks like a mash-up of the jukebox/bio musical genres, and I'm a fan of neither. 

Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Source: The 1988 film "Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown" by Pedro Almodovar.
Staff: Direction by Bartlett Sher. Music and lyrics by David Yazbek. Book by Jeffrey Lane.
Cast: Possibly Jessica Biel, who took part in a recent reading under the auspices of the Lincoln Center Theatre. The reading also featured Paulo Szot, Tom Hewitt, and Patti LuPone. Also likely to appear in the show is Oscar Isaac, who is currently appearing as Prince John in the film "Robin Hood."
Status: The show is booked into the Belasco Theater, and is scheduled to start performances in October.
My take: I'm loving the creative staff. Sher is a pretty hot property right now, although I wasn't -- and still am not -- a fan of South Pacific. I am, however, a major proponent of Yazbek's previous Broadway shows, The Full Monty and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. So color me very intrigued, indeed. 

Yank
Source: To my knowledge, an original story: a fictitious love affair taking place between two soldiers during World War II. According to the show's Web site, all the characters are fictional. However, "all of the situations and viewpoints come directly from memoirs and oral histories of gay (and straight) service members who took part in WWII."
Staff: Book and lyrics by David Zellnik. Music by Joseph Zellnik. Director David Cromer will replace Igor Goldin, who has directed the show since its inception.
Cast: Bobby Steggert says that he is very likely to recreate his wonderful turn as the lead soldier, but that has not been confirmed.
Status: After a very successful run at the York Theatre, the show was announced for Broadway next season, but the theater and starting dates are TBD.
My take: In short, I'm thrilled. I was quite enamored of the show when I saw it at the York. (Read my review.) I'm not sure how long it will last on Broadway, but I greatly look forward to seeing it again. It's a gem.

A Broadway Milestone (for Me...)

Prior to this past weekend, there was only one Broadway theater that I had never been in. My 30-plus years of attending shows in New York City had brought me to the interior of every single one of the currently active theaters on Broadway, from the Ambassador (Bring in 'Da Noise, Bring in 'Da Funk) to the August Wilson (Jersey Boys, Flower Drum Song, Jelly's Last Jam, City of Angels).

Except for one: the Winter Garden.

Why? Well, for nearly 20 years, the Winter Garden was the home of Cats, and since 2001, it has housed Mamma Mia!. Now, I'm not necessarily knocking either of those shows. (Yet.) It's just that I saw both of them on tour in Boston, and didn't really feel the need to see them again in New York. So, for quite a while now, I've been itching to scratch the Winter Garden off my list. However, Mamma Mia has stubbornly remained open, and has to date shown no signs of closing to make way for another show. 

This past weekend, I was headed down to New York to see the Encores production of Fanny at City Center. (Watch for my review later in the week. In short, a delight.) I didn't have anything to see on Saturday afternoon, so I sidled over to TKTS to see what was up. Quite a bit, it turns out, but I had seen all the musicals in town, in most cases twice. And none of the spring crop of musicals begins previews until later this month or beyond. So, as I stared up at the show listings, Mamma Mia caught my eye. My heart sort of sank, but I bit the bullet and got myself a ticket. 

Now, reader, before you judge me, let me impress upon you the importance of this milestone. The Winter Garden has been the storied home of numerous iconic shows, including Funny Girl, Mame, Follies, West Side Story, Pacific Overtures, Wonderful Town, and the 1974 Angela Lansbury revival of Gypsy. It also housed a number of versions of the Ziegfeld Follies (after the Shuberts acquired the rights to the name following Ziegfeld's death), featuring such fabled performers such as Fanny Brice, Bob Hope, Gypsy Rose Lee, and Josephine Baker. Al Jolson performed numerous sell-out shows there between 1911 and 1928, during which he would have a runway built going out into the audience, the better to channel his black-faced histrionics. So, this is no ordinary Broadway theater. This is history. How could I call myself a theater historian and not have seen the inside of one of the most important theaters of all time?

Of course, reaching this milestone meant that I had to sit through Mamma Mia again. I saw the show about 8 years ago, and I remember being somewhat entertained. I've always secretly sort of liked the songs of ABBA. And there's no way the show could be as bad as the movie was, right? I mean, how bad could it be?

Bad. Really really bad.

I'm genuinely at a loss to explain why Mamma Mia is still running but All Shook Up and Good Vibrations and other shows in the jukebox musical genre have long since closed. I didn't get a chance to see either of those other shows, but were they really that much worse than Mamma Mia? Or is there some strange power that the music of ABBA has over the ticket-buying public? They're certainly not going based on the strength of the story, the dance, or the production values.

Granted the show features Phyllida Lloyd's efficient staging and some rather smooth transitions. But the choreography, provided by one Anthony Van Laast, is laughably amateurish, featuring pointlessly intricate footwork with no sense of flow or stage perspective. Were I a dancer in this show, I would be mortified to execute such feeble steps. Catherine Johnson's paper-thin book features cardboard characters and such borderline offensive remarks as "How'd you like to pepper my snapper?"

At this performance, very few of the hoary jokes were hitting, except the ones (and there are many) that involve characters touching their own or someone else's boobs or buns. I figured that this must be a language issue; as was true with Cats, the ticket buyers who seem to be keeping Mamma Mia running are the foreign tourists.

An interesting byproduct of this language issue was that the actors seemed to be responding to the lack of audience response by overacting, perhaps in some futile effort to make the lame humor work. Particularly egregious in this respect was Alyse Alan Louis as Sophie, who was overly emotive, breathless, and demonstrative. Yeah, this girl is getting married, but does that mean her every line and gesture need to evoke the highest of stakes? 

Another unfortunate casualty to the overacting factor was the otherwise talented John Dossett as Sam Carmichael. In his long career, Dossett has proven himself a fine actor, but here he's rather painfully excessive, at least while he's singing. Perhaps this is because he's saddled with songs that are slightly above his vocal range, but he compensates with exaggerated facial tics and contortions. During the song "S.O.S.," every time he had to mouth the title initials, he would chew the air as if roaring like a lion, as though it were part of a failed Bert Lahr impersonation.

Thankfully, the production featured some more modulated performances, particularly that of the delightful Beth Leavel as Donna Sheridan. At first Leavel seemed miscast in the role, coming off as a bit too small in countenance, but eventually she warmed up and became positively fierce in act 2. "The Winner Takes it All" was one of the few genuine pleasures of the production. For the most part, there was refreshingly little of her Tony-Award winning role in The Drowsy Chaperone in evidence, although she did punctuate the very end of "Winner" with a few moves that were very Drowsy indeed. It worked for me.

So, yeah, Mamma Mia has its debatable charms, but I'm not sure I'll ever fully comprehend why the show has become such an international sensation. All I know is that I genuinely hope it doesn't close anytime soon: if it does, then I will have sat through the show needlessly, simply in order to reach my personal milestone. That would kinda suck.

American Idiot Will Play the St. James

Even in this economy, most Broadway theaters don't remain vacant for very long. (That's either a testament to the reinvigorated status of the Broadway musical, or the sheer idiocy on the part of producers and investors. Perhaps both.) The current revival of Finian's Rainbow will play its last performance on January 17th, but the venerable St. James Theater has already signed on its next tenant: America Idiot, the new rock musical based on the eponymous recording by the popular band Green Day. The show is scheduled to begin previews on March 24th and open on April 20th.

American Idiot features a number of Spring Awakening alumni, including producer Tom Hulce and director Michael Mayer, and during its recent two-month run at Berkeley Repertory Theater, it starred Tony-Award winner John Gallagher Jr. Mayer is collaborating with iconic Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong on the show's book. Although the Berkeley run sold out, and the run was extended twice, the reviews were rather mixed.

The Sacramento Bee deemed American Idiot "worthy," but said that, while the characters "do eventually grow, the production's weakness lies in their lack of compelling development." Robert Hurwitt of The San Francisco Chronicle wrote that the show "doesn't deliver much in the way of character or story" but said that it "packs plenty of excitement and entertainment into a remarkably theatrical rock concert." Leslie Katz of the San Francisco Examiner concurred that the book for the show "remains thin," but Karen D'Souza of the San Jose Mercury News called the show as "compelling as it is abstract," adding that the show reflected "the grungy spirit of punk while also plucking at the heartstrings."

So the consensus seems to be that there are the makings of a pretty powerful show here, but the book and characterizations could both use some fleshing out. Will Mayer and Armstrong be making any significant changes to the show before it hits New York? We shall see. In the meantime, anyone interested in getting a sense of how the show will sound can download the cut "21 Guns," recorded by the Berkley Rep cast and available on Amazon and iTunes.

Come Fly Away Will Play the Marquis

As closing announcements proliferate, and the remaining Broadway shows face the prospect of a bleak midwinter, we're also hearing about new musicals to step in and fill the void.

The new Twyla Tharp dance show, formerly titled Come Fly With Me, now bearing the moniker Come Fly Away, will begin performances at the Marquis Theater in March. Similar to Tharp's previous two efforts -- the successful Movin' Out and the disastrous The Times They Are a-Changin' -- Come Fly Away is a songbook show, this time featuring the music of Frank Sinatra.

Although the show itself is relatively new, Tharp actually has a long history with the music of Frank Sinatra, having created numerous pieces set to Sinatra recordings in the early 1980s, including Nine Sinatra Songs and Sinatra Suite, the latter with Mikhail Baryshnikov. But have no fear, musicians' union, for this won't be another Contact, a show that came under fire for eschewing an orchestra in favor of a piped-in jukebox soundtrack. Come Fly Away does indeed utilize recordings of the late Sinatra's voice, but the vocal tracks are backed by a live on-stage band playing some newly created orchestrations.

The show received some fairly solid reviews during its recent engagement at the Alliance Theater in Atlanta, at which time it was still known as Come Fly With Me. Charles Isherwood of the New York Times called the show "exhilarating." Wendell Brock of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution said "dazzling." And Frank Rizzo of Variety wrote that "even at this early stage" the show is "vibrant, engaging and, at times, thrilling." With notices like that, the producers would be fools not to bring the show to New York. Right?

Not so fast. As my friend Ken Davenport recently wrote about on his blog, The Producer's Perspective, out-of-town raves do not a Broadway blockbuster make. Ragtime got very strong reviews when it played DC, and now the Broadway production is closing at a significant loss. Finian's Rainbow got terrific notices during its Encores run last season, only to meet a similar fate to Ragtime. Perhaps the most extreme example is the now-legendary Glory Days, which came to New York almost entirely on the strength of Peter Marks' gushing review in The Washington Post. During previews, Glory Days struggled to garner an audience larger than 25% of the house, and then promptly folded on opening night. Whoops. 

Will Come Fly Away deliver on the promise of its advance notices? Will the new Twyla Tharp show be another Movin' Out or another The Times They Are a-Changin'? If it's the former, expect to see more from Twyla on Broadway. If it's the latter, well, it's probably back to the barre.

Million Dollar Quartet Will Play the Nederlander

No sooner had the revival of Brighton Beach Memoirs died what many consider to be a premature death at the Nederlander Theater then a new show announced its tenancy. Million Dollar Quartet, which has been playing for more than a year in Chicago, will begin performances on 41st Street in March of 2010.

Million Dollar Quartet relates the story of one day in 1956 when Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash, and Carl Perkins all jammed together "for the first and only time," according to the show's Web site. The show features a book by Floyd Mutrux and Colin Escott, and interpolates popular period songs, including "Great Balls of Fire," "See You Later Alligator," "Fever," and "Whole Lotta Shakin' Goin' On."

Will Million Dollar Quartet be the next Jersey Boys or the next All Shook Up? To be honest, I'm finding it really hard to care. I can't imagine a musical I'd be less interested in seeing, except perhaps Pure Country. Yeah, I'm not that big on rock 'n roll, country music, or their derivatives. Of course, I'll see the show. I like to see everything. But, to paraphrase Frank N. Furter, I'm not exactly shivering with anticipation.

Plus, the commercial resume for the show's co-director, one Eric Schaeffer, isn't particularly encouraging. Yes, Schaeffer is the artistic director of the respected Signature Theater. But his Broadway outings thus far have comprised Putting it Together and Glory Days . "Ick" and "Youch," respectively. He also directed the first national tour of Big, and the London premier of The Witches of Eastwick. So you'll forgive me if I'm skeptical.

But, getting back to the topic of Brighton Beach Memoirs, I've been lying pretty low on this topic, partly because my interests lie primarily in musical theater, but also because so many of my blogger peeps seemed to be in mourning, and I didn't want to salt their wounds. But I have been bristling at all the journalistic hand-wringing, particularly by Howard Kissel of the New York Daily News. Kissel uses the failure of BBM to bemoan the death of "the Broadway Audience," whatever that means.

I'm sorry, but I really don't see any larger implications for the closure of BBM, beyond the fact that the producers chose to do a show that few people apparently wanted to see. Yes, I'm sure poor marketing and insufficient finance had something to do with it. But all the sturm und drang I keep hearing about the death of straight plays (at least those without stars above the title) and the growing irrelevance of Neil Simon and whatnot is pretty much crap.

I see dozens of shows each season, and even I wasn't all that interested in seeing BBM. Many of my blogger cohorts were thrilled with the production, and on that basis I might have taken it in, had it run longer. But, again, I see the demise of BBM as the result of bad producing, in particular faulty (or nonexistent) market research.

Is the non-star straight play dead? August: Osage County anyone? If the play is good, people will come. Sure, the producers resorted to bringing in Estelle Parsons and Phylicia Raschad toward the end of the run, but only after the show had captivated New York audiences without a single well-known name. Is Neil Simon a relic? That remains to be seen. Recent productions of his shows have certainly been disappointing, but there's no such thing in theater as a "never" or an "always." Methinks the pundits are looking for higher meaning where it's entirely possible that none exists.

My $0.02.

Avenue Q at the New World Stages

When Avenue Q opened last week at its new Off-Broadway home, the New World Stages, a lot of people in the theatrical community were paying close attention. Of course, it's a much-beloved show, and many are simply wishing it well. (Except, perhaps, the producers of Wicked, from whose verdant hands Avenue Q so summarily snatched the Best Musical Tony in 2003.)

But the main point of interest seems to be how well Avenue Q will do financially after making this unusual move. It's not entirely unprecedented for a Broadway show to move Off Broadway, but it's certainly rare. And if Avenue Q succeeds, we can probably expect other small shows to follow suit. There's talk that The 39 Steps will make a similar move after it closes at year's end at the Helen Hayes. Perhaps Next to Normal and Rock of Ages might consider returning to their Off Broadway roots after their respective Broadway stints have run their course.

I've been enamored of Avenue Q ever since I caught one of its Broadway previews back in 2003. I've subsequently seen the show on tour (read my review), and then revisited the Broadway production shortly before it closed (read my review). And, over the weekend, I caught the show once again at its new digs. And I'm happy to say that the show has lost none of its charm upon multiple viewings. Of course, part of the fun for me the last two times is that I saw the show with friends, and got to witness their delighted reactions to the show upon their first viewings. But even when I saw the show solo on tour, I was still caught up in the response of the rest of the audience.

The performance of Avenue Q that I saw over the weekend featured three understudies, indicating that even Off Broadway shows are not immune to the scourge of absenteeism that seems to be sweeping New York theater. Fortunately, the standbys were mostly stellar, particular the charming Jed Resnick as Princeton/Rod and the delightful Ruthie Ann Miles as Christmas Eve.

The more I see Avenue Q, the more I'm struck not just by its wit, but also by its wisdom. Yeah, I know, that sounds pretty pretentious. But there's so much about the show that's just plain smart, from the wistful nostalgia of "I Wish I Could Go Back to College" to the downright Buddhist quality of "For Now." So I wish the show well in its latest incarnation, and strongly recommend that you make your way to 50th Street, between 8th and 9th to catch the show, if you haven't already.

Or even if you have.

Avenue Q Will Move Off-Broadway

Avenue Q, the scrappy little musical that broke the rules, will break them once again. With so many musicals these days making the transfer from Off-Broadway to the Great White Way, Avenue Q has decided to travel against the tide.

As you may know, Avenue Q played its last Broadway performance last night. Well, apparently, the producers made a closing-night announcement that the show will reopen Off-Broadway in October. Puppets and humans alike will take up residence at the New World Stages, long-time home of Altar Boyz, Naked Boys Singing, and now The Toxic Avenger Musical.

It's an unusual move, to say the least, but not entirely unprecedented. The little-known tuner Billy Bishop Goes to War made a similar Broadway-to-Off-Broadway transfer, albeit under far less auspicious circumstances. The show played the late and lamented Morosco Theatre for a scant 12 performances in 1980, then moved to the Lucille Lortel for another 78. 

It is, nonetheless, a ballsy move on the part of Avenue Q's already gonad-laden producers. It makes me wonder whether the move was planned, or if the show's post-closing-announcement demand precipitated the thought of a crosstown transplant. The Off-Broadway move will certainly lower the show's running costs, as Off-Broadway houses have different and less expensive agreements with the various unions.

Will other musicals follow suit? It's certainly possible. Perhaps Spring Awakening or The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee might have benefited from a similar move. Both shows turned a profit, but perhaps the brand recognition from their Broadway runs could have propelled them into an even more profitable afterlife. Perhaps Next to Normal or Rock of Ages could move back to their Off-Broadway roots once their respective Broadway runs wind down. 

We'll have to wait and see. Meanwhile, Avenue Q begins performances at the New World Stages on October 9th.

Vanities at the Second Stage Theater

As you may know, the new musical Vanities was slated to open at Broadway's Lyceum Theater this past season, but the run was canceled when the economy soured.

Well, the economy did these folks a favor. If Vanities had actually made it to Broadway, chances are it would have been a short-lived embarrassment, like Glory Days, or disappointment, like The Story of My Life. Instead, the show gets a one-month run at a non-profit theater, New York's Second Stage, the possibility of a cast album, and a shot at a life in regional productions. Because, despite a professional presentation and a perky, talented cast of three (Lauren Kennedy, Sarah Stiles, and Anneliese Van Der Pol), Vanities is a musical that makes little lasting impression.

One of the show's key liabilities is its inoffensive but forgettable score by David Kirshenbaum (Summer of '42). It's hard to pin down exactly what's wrong with the score, because it's pleasant enough in performance. But the songs don't stick, either in terms of memorability or in serving a dramatic purpose. Part of the problem could be that the score only intermittently reflects the time period in which the scenes are set. It doesn't grow in its cultural influences as you might expect from a musical that spans the 1960s through the 1980s. There are some Burt Bacharach touches in some of the orchestrations during the '60s portion of the show, but after that the generic score becomes timeless, but not in a good way. It doesn't help that Kirshenbaum throws in such anachronisms as "living large" and "chatty Cathy" well before these terms came about.

Even worse, the songs don't tell the story, they stop it. Every number feels like a digression from the plot rather than something that enhances it. I'm not saying that Vanities shouldn't have been a musical, but the current score doesn't add much to the drama or to our understanding of these characters.

The score might have seemed less egregious had the surrounding text had greater depth. The main problem with Jack Heifner's book, which is based on his 1976 play of the same name, is that there really isn't any drama until about an hour into the show. Before that, we just see these three high school friends graduate, attend college, and head off into the world to inevitably and predictably grow apart. But when the drama finally comes, it's really too late for us to start caring. In the show's pivotal scene at a New York penthouse apartment, the girls finally have a knock-down drag-out fight, and things start to get interesting. But in the following scene, all is forgiven and we're forced to accept an artificially easy reconciliation. Then it's off to the final number, chockablock with platitudes, and the characters walk off into the sunset together. That's right: they literally walk off into the sunset. Oy.  

The problems with the score and the book are probably so systemic that no director could have fixed them. Even so, Judith Ivey probably wasn't the right choice of director. There's a big difference between directing a previously existing show and steering a developing work towards a final product. There are some really terrific developmental directors (Hal Prince, James Lapine) and there are directors who work better on finished material (Walter Bobbie). I'm going to give Ivey the benefit of the doubt and assume that if she's ever going to be a great director, she might be better off in the latter category.

Vanities runs at the Second Stage until August 9th. I have a feeling that, should this production produce a cast album, the show will get a decent amount of play in regional theaters. If there's no CD, this is probably the last we'll see of Vanities.

The Little Mermaid Will Close August 30th

In a bit of a surprise move, Disney has announced that it will close down the Broadway production of The Little Mermaid on August 30th. (This is a particular bummer for Boston Conservatory folk, since BoCo alum Chelsea Morgan Stock just took over the lead after understudying the part, and performing in the chorus, since the show opened.) When the The Little Mermaid closes, it will have played 50 previews and 685 performances. That admittedly disappointing run will at least put it past Tarzan, which closed after 486 performances.

Why is this surprising? To be sure, The Little Mermaid opened to some pretty dismal reviews, and was completely shut out at the 2007 Tony Awards. But the show really hasn't been doing that badly at the box office. The weekly grosses have been consistently over $600,000 since March, and lately have been coming in at about $800,000. If that level of weekly income isn't covering the show's nut, then that's just bad producing on Disney's part. What's more, Mary Poppins hasn't been doing all that much better at the box office. Perhaps we'll hear another closing announcement from Disney sometime soon?

In their announcement about closing The Little Mermaid, the folks at Disney acknowledge that the show has been having, and will likely to continue to have, a good summer. But then there's the fall:

We are tremendously proud of the show and are confident we'll have an excellent summer but it would be fiscally irresponsible to our shareholders to risk operating losses with such a big show in the historically challenging fall months. We are closing the Broadway production to concentrate on the long future life of this title...

That's actually some remarkably frank language from a company not known for its glasnost. As for the "future" of The Little Mermaid, the show will launch a national tour in 2010. The show is likely to do well in the provinces, where people don't necessarily read Broadway reviews, and will be attracted to both the Disney brand and the name-recognition from the original movie. And there will probably be international productions as well. Tarzan, it turns out, has become quite a popular show in the Netherlands and Germany.

The closure of The Little Mermaid frees up the hideously decorated but conveniently located Lunt-Fontanne Theater. Playbill.com reports that there are rumors that the theater's next tenant will be the upcoming musical version of The Addams Family. (The cast of which is looking pretty darned fabulous: Nathan Lane, Bebe Neuwirth, Kevin Chamberlin, Jackie Hoffman, Terrence Mann, Carolee Carmello, and Wesley Taylor.) Watch this space for more details.

Ragtime and Night Music Find Theaters

An article on Bloomberg.com yesterday painted a rather gloomy portrait of the summer Broadway scene: come August, some 19 of Broadway's 39 theaters will be dark. Yeah, that sounds pretty depressing. But on the very same day, Variety ran an article that had more of a glass-half-full tone to it, pointing out that many, if not all, of those theaters already have bookings for the fall.

Case in point: the upcoming revivals of A Little Night Music and Ragtime have tentatively found their respective Broadway homes. Night Music will likely play the Walter Kerr, soon to be vacated by Irena's Vow. And Ragtime will probably land at the Neil Simon, which has been lying fallow since Hairspray closed in January.

Of course, the productions as well as the theater bookings are subject to change. But I recently heard that a few of my Boston Conservatory students attended the open-call audition for Ragtime, so we at least know that show is in the active process of working out. One of the students even got a callback for Sarah. (Break a leg, Lori!)

Details about the Night Music revival are still sketchy. The New York Times reported a few weeks back that the show was likely to play a Jujamcyn theater (which the Walter Kerr is), but there hasn't been any specific info about dates or casting as yet. Reports about the Trevor Nunn-directed London production have been glowing, including a rave from my friend and fellow blogger Steve on Broadway.

Other musicals currently booked for next season include Memphis at the Shubert, Fela at the Eugene O'Neill, Finian's Rainbow at the St. James, and Spider Man at the Hilton. As for non-musicals, there's Superior Donuts at the Music Box, A Steady Rain (with...HELLO...Hugh Jackman and Daniel Craig...woof and double woof) at the Schoenfeld, Brighton Beach Memoirs/Broadway Bound at the Nederlander, Race at the Barrymore. And all that doesn't even count the non-profit companies and their seasons.

Sure, there are likely to be some vacancies in the foreseeable future: the Circle in the Square, Lyceum, Belasco, and Cort theaters don't seem to have anything booked for next season as of yet. Then there's the Broadhurst, but that highly-desirable theater is never empty for very long. (UPDATE: My sources tell me the Broadhurst will likely house Jude Law in Hamlet. So there.) The Longacre will likely go dark again after the limited engagement of Burn the Floor. But given that we're in the middle of the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, I'd say that's a pretty strong season we're looking at, and least in terms of the number of shows.

Fela to Play the Eugene O'Neill

Michael Riedel of the New York Post is reporting today that the Off-Broadway musical Fela will begin performances at Broadway's Eugene O'Neill Theater in September, toward an October opening.

It seems that there are some pretty glitzy producers coming on-board, including Beyonce, Jay-Z, and Alicia Keys. Rumor has it that Denzel Washington and Will Smith might even be writing checks.

Riedel contends that the show, during its one-month run at 37 Arts, had critics practically "dancing in the aisles." They must have seen a different show from the one I saw. The Fela that I witnessed last fall was fervent but flawed: a would-be celebration of the life and music of Nigerian recording artist and activist Fela Anikulapo Kuti, but rather inert as far as musical theater goes. (Read my review here) The dynamic Sahr Ngaujah was simply electric (and sexy as hell) in the title role, and apparently he will repeat this role on Broadway. But the show itself was one long monologue, with a few effective sequences, but more that were shrill and off-putting.

Other than Ngaujah's torso...er, performance, the main attraction with Fela was the ebullient choreography from Bill T. Jones (Spring Awakening), who also directs, and shares librettist duties with Jim Lewis (Dangerous Games, Chronicle of a Death Foretold). According to Playbill.com, Fela will receive a workshop this summer to allow the creators to reshape their material. The workshop was also supposed to help determine whether the show had future commercial possibilities, but apparently the producers have already made that decision for themselves. Here's hoping that Jones and Lewis will be able to use the summer workshop to craft a piece that lives up to the promise of the show's conception, and does justice to its worthy subject matter.

Spider-Man Musical Will Play Hilton in 2010

The awkwardly-named new musical Spider-Man, Turn Off The Dark is currently scheduled to open at Broadway's cavernous Hilton Theater in 2010. Apparently there had been some production delays, but the show is now on target to begin previews in January 2010 toward a February opening. No word yet on whether there will be an out-of-town tryout, but given the complicated nature of the physical production, it would seem unlikely.

According to Michael Riedel, the eagerly anticipated new musical is budgeted at a whopping $40 million, which director Julie Taymor has evidently been throwing around like crazy. Riedel quotes one source as saying that Taymor has been telling prospective designers that "money is no object." 

As numerous sources have reported, film actress Evan Rachel Wood has repeatedly said that she will appear in the show. Wood has also hinted at the possibility of her "Across the Universe" co-star Jim Sturgess joining her to play the webbed one himself, although no official casting has been yet announced. Since Julie Taymor directed that movie, it's no surprise to see these names tossed about. (I guess I'm going to have to sit down and actually watch that movie. Is it any good, dear reader?)

Combine all the above info, and add in the prospect of a debut theater score by Bono and The Edge, and you have a fascinating prospect, indeed. It's the sort of thing that could either be a triumph or a total disaster.

Either way, I'm so there.

Next to Normal Will Play Broadway

After what appears to have been a successful run at the Arena Stage, the new musical Next to Normal is now Broadway bound. The entire Arena Stage cast -- including Alice Ripley, J. Robert Spencer, and Aaron Tveit -- will make the transfer to New York, where the show will play the Longacre Theater, recently vacated by Boeing-Boeing.

The producers have announced an unusual move: they will close off the Longacre balcony, reducing the number of potential audience members from 1,100 to 820. This is apparently to provide more intimacy for the six-character musical.

Regular readers will recall that I had problems with both the message and the execution of Next to Normal when I saw it at the Second Stage. (Read my review.) Librettist Brian Yorkey continues to contact me about my review and my subsequent postings about his show. I have no intention of responding to his mean-spirited emails, nor any interest in getting into a pissing contest. Although you'd think that someone who has a show about to open on Broadway would be a little more careful in his treatment of potential influencers. I'm no Michael Riedel, but I do have a decent number of readers, and many of them are influencers in their own right.

But, believe it or not, I do plan on taking in the show again when it comes to Broadway, and I encourage my readers to see the show as well, to form their own opinions. I hear there have been considerable changes to the show since its Off-Broadway run, and if I can give Billy Elliot and In the Heights a second chance, I can do no less for Next to Normal. But, if I have the same problems with the show that I had before (e.g. an inconstant tone, a preponderance of clichés, and a message that includes an apparent repudiation of psychiatry), I certainly reserve my right to make those opinions known.

In other Next to Normal news, the folks at Ghostlight Records recently recorded the score, which will be released at a future date TBD. 

Rock of Ages Headed to Broadway?

Rumor has it that the surprisingly likable Rock of Ages could be headed for Broadway. There's already been talk of a movie version of the Off-Broadway tuner, and now BroadwayWorld.com reports that production sources have hinted at a possible move uptown. (Actually, since the show is currently playing the New World Stages, which are on 50th Street, it would technically be more of a lateral move, but I'm sure you get my metaphor.)

In fact, certain popular Broadway chat rooms have featured speculation that Rock of Ages may take Grease's place at the Brooks Atkinson sometime after that show closes in January. I guess ROA must be doing quite well. Why else would the producers take a chance on the increasingly bleak post-holiday Broadway landscape?

Regular readers will recall that I genuinely enjoyed Rock of Ages when I saw it last month. (Read my review.) It's an amiable good time of a show, with nothing more on its mind but a little harmless, mindless entertainment. The cast, which includes Constantine Maroulis, Mitchell Jarvis, and Lauren Molina, is especially strong. The dynamic Will Swenson was unfortunately out at the perfromance I saw, and I can't help wondering if Swenson will stay with Rock of Ages or return to the role of Berger for the upcoming Broadway bow of Hair.

Guys and Dolls Casting: Bierko and Grant

We can add Craig Bierko and Kate Jennings Grant to the cast of the upcoming revival of Guys and Dolls, which will begin previews in February at a newly renovated Nederlander Theater. The pair will spar as Sky Masterson and Sarah Brown, respectively, and join the already cast Oliver Platt ("The West Wing") and Lauren Graham ("The Gilmore Girls") as Nathan Detroit and Adelaide.

Yeah. Still don't care.

This is unquestionably a talented group of performers. Bierko, in particular, is a very appealing actor. (And...um...totally hot). He did a bang-up impersonation of Robert Preston in the 2000 revival of The Music Man. ("This message brought to you by the Ministry of Left-Handed Compliments...") And director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo will doubtless put together a fast-paced and energetic production.

But I'm still not thrilled at the prospect of yet another Guys and Dolls. I mean, look at the logo. It's nowhere near as distinctive as that of the 1992 Guys and Dolls revival:

Or even the recent London production:

 

Let's hope that McAnuff and his production staff have some ideas for the show that are a bit fresher than the production's present logo.

Young Frankenstein to Close in January

It's Alive!?

Yeah, well, not for much longer.

You can add the woefully disappointing Young Frankenstein to the ever-growing list of shows that will shutter in January. Although Mel Brooks and his fellow producers have famously refused to make their numbers public, the show will have played only 484 regular performances, and with an estimated capitalization somewhere in the $20 million neighborhood, that probably means the the show will close at a considerable loss.

Tee hee.

I've made no mystery of my unmitigated disdain for this show. See my review of the cynical and uninspired show itself, as well as my prior and subsequent screeds decrying the sheer arrogance of the production team.

The hangar-like Hilton Theater is unlikely to remain vacant for long, as rumor has long held the the upcoming Spider-Man tuner was hoping to spin its Web within its cavernous hall sometime during the 2009-2010 season. The Spidey musical will reportedly feature direction and design by Tony winner Julie Taymor as well as a score by frickin' Bono and The Edge of U2 fame.

Yeah, another pre-sold, brand-name, would-be blockbuster aborning. But at least we know the score will rock, and the design will be nonpareil. And pre-sold blockbusters aren't necessarily a disaster in the making. Look for my review of the slightly flawed but pleasantly entertaining Shrek later in the week.

Vanities to Play the Lyceum

I'm kind of surprised at this, but the Broadway-bound musical Vanities remains on track for a New York run. The show just booked the gorgeous and historic Lyceum Theater, recently (sniff sniff) vacated by [title of show]. Vanities will begin previews on February 2nd toward a February 26th opening. So I guess if [title of show] does make it make to Broadway later this season (see my post below), it will have to find another theater.

The reason I'm surprised is that Vanities is a small musical (the cast numbers a mere three) at a time when smaller musicals are having a hard time staying afloat. (cf. [title of show], Xanadu, Spring Awakening, Glory Days, A Catered Affair, Passing Strange, and the still-open but struggling 13.) Plus, there's the whole, you know, tanking economy thing. But apparently the producers were pleased enough with the show's recent run at the Pasadena Playhouse that they feel confident bucking those trends.

Vanities will feature the Broadway directorial debut of two-time Tony winner Judith Ivey, a performer whom I simply adore. Now, great actors don't always make great directors, but they don't necessarily make bad ones either. Up-and-coming choreographer Dan Knechtges will provide the musical staging. And the cast comprises the very talented trio of Lauren Kennedy, Sarah Stiles, and Anneliese Van Der Pol. So I'll definitely be getting a ticket to one of the preview performances, and I certainly hope that the show will prove my suspicions unfounded.

Hair to Play the Hirschfeld

The producers of the upcoming Broadway revival of Hair didn't waste any time snatching up the highly desirable Al Hirschfeld. The theater's current tenant, the execrable A Tale of Two Cities, recently announced that it would be closing November 16th, making room for a far, far better production.

Diane Paulus's dynamic staging of the Public Theater's hit summer production will begin previews in February toward a March opening. Paulus will presumably take some time off from her new role as artistic director of Boston's own...er..Cambridge's own American Repertory Theater. (They're very touchy about that sort of thing, those Cantabrigians.)

As I said in my review of the Central Park run, this production forced me to reevaluate the place of Hair in the musical theater canon. Previously, I dismissed it as a novelty hit, a product of a specific time and place, but now I've come to see the show as having a more universal message. Of course, Central Park is really the ideal place for the show, for a variety of reasons, both thematic and conceptual. But that's obviously not a tenable long-term option, particularly in the coming winter months.

No word yet on casting, but it would be great to see Jonathan Groff and Will Swenson reprise their central roles as Claude and Berger, respectively. Both were simply sensational. There were many talented people in the cast, but Groff and Swenson were real standouts. (Did anyone out there see Groff's replacement, Christopher Hanke, as Claude?)

Some have questioned whether people will be willing to pay for something they could have seen free of charge over the summer. I find that attitude a bit parochial. Some of us don't live in New York City, folks, and the prospect of making a special trip just to wait in line for hours and then maybe not even get a ticket made seeing this show in the Park rather unattractive to many out-of-towners. The real question is whether the frenzy to see the show will hold over from many months before, especially now that the economy has since cooled quite considerably.

All I know is I greatly look forward to seeing Hair again, partly to see how they've made the out-to-indoor transition, but also to re-experience the sheer power of the show and the talent of the people involved.

Boston's Wilbur Theatre Now a Comedy Club

For those of you who think that I'm all about theater, and musical theater in particular, well, for the most part you're right. But there is an admittedly minute part of me that enjoys the occasional foray into more mainstream culture.

I'm a particularly ardent fan of stand-up comedy, including such stellar comedians as Paula Poundstone, Patton Oswalt, Sarah Silverman, and Eddie Izzard. So when I'm not in a Broadway theater, or regional equivalent, I can often be found at a comedy performance, or at least watching one on Comedy Central.

But sometimes my passions for theater and comedy collide, as they did a few seasons back with the regrettably weak Spamalot. And last night, I went to see one of my favorite comedians, Mike Birbiglia, at Boston's Wilbur Theater, and therein hangs a tale.

The Wilbur is a venerable Boston institution, essentially a house for touring productions of plays and small musicals. Famed performers who have tread these boards include Lillian Gish, the Barrymores, Katharine Hepburn, Hume Cronyn, Jessica Tandy, Jason Robards, and Alan Bates. Over the years, I've sat in the lovely little Wilbur to view such shows as Sweet Sue, Glengarry Glen Ross, La Bête, and most recently The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee.

But lately the Wilbur has fallen on hard times, and for years has more often been dark than occupied. When I interviewed playwright Douglas Carter Beane recently, I mentioned the Wilbur as a possible locale for the Xanadu tour, and he said that union rules made the Wilbur cost-prohibitive.

Well, DCB must not be the only one who feels that way, because recently the Wilbur was leased to the Comedy Connection, a local chain of comedy clubs. Which, of course, leaves me torn: I hate the thought of anything playing the Wilbur but legitimate theater, but I also know Boston could really use a mid-size comedy venue. Typically comics play the enormous Wang Theater or some hole in the wall, and there hasn't been much that's in-between.

All that said, I really enjoyed Mike Birbiglia's show, which was essentially a tryout date for his upcoming one-man Off-Broadway show, Sleepwalk with Me. I've always found Mike a very honest and personable comedian, although his CDs and TV appearances feature a lot of material overlap, and at times he's felt a bit too scripted.

But Birbiglia seems to have grown a great deal as a performer, bringing a much more comfortable, fluid style to his delivery. He mentioned that he compulsively Googles himself, and that once he read someone's blog on which they referred to him as "pudgy and awkward." Well, Mike, you are kind of pudgy, but you're also adorable, and you carry the extra weight well. And, yeah, you're also pretty awkward, but I think of it more as honest and self-effacing, and that's what makes you so appealing as a performer.

So, yeah, I'll probably see other comedians at the Wilbur. But somewhere inside I'll be wishing I was seeing the Xanadu tour.

Guys and Dolls Revival to Play Nederlander

The not-so-eagerly anticipated upcoming revival of Guys and Dolls will play a newly renovated Nederlander Theater, recent longtime home of Rent.

This ends speculation that the upcoming Broadway transfer of the Public Theater's production of Hair would play that venue, but the question of where Hair will ultimately land remains. Will it ensconce itself at the three-quarter thrust Circle in the Square? The grand-yet-intimate Lyceum once [title of show] closes? The Neil Simon when Hairspray expires? Or perhaps producers are waiting for the inevitable demise of A Tale of Two Cities at the Hirshfeld. 

Oh, and I guess Oliver Platt is going to play Nathan Detroit in the Guys and Dolls revival. Whatever, I still don't care. I'll admit that I'm pretty bad at predicting the success of revivals. I was wrong about A Chorus Line and Les Miserables, both of which appear to have made a decent profit upon their (to my reckoning) premature returns. I guess, for me, the 1992 revival of Guys and Dolls is iconic and indelible, although I will accede that there are doubtless many people extant who didn't see that production. (To wit: all of my Boston Conservatory students, past and present.) 

I will, however, definitely see the new production, if only to witness how director Des McAnuff and choreographer Sergio Trujillo manage to inject life into the proceedings. McAnuff has demonstrated an acute skill for creating dynamic productions, whether he's starting with good material (How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying) or no material (The Who's Tommy, Jersey Boys).

But on the whole, I'm a lot more excited about the prospect of Christine Ebersole and Rupert Everett in Blithe Spirit. (If only it were a revival of the under-appreciated musical version, High Spirits. Ah, well.)