New York City Theater

Okay....no offense to Jay Johnson and his many puppets, and to that show's producers, creative time, publicists and all, but I can't begin to understand how they all imaged JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO AND ONLY, a warm-hearted, easily likable, pocket-sized show about a man and his puppets, could have survived on Broadway more than a few weeks. This is the kind of show that would probably have trouble selling out even a small Off-Broadway space like the DR2 Theater. I mean, if the Helen Hayes has a bit less than 600 seats, and the show sold an average of 15-20% of its seats, it probably sold a bit more than 100 tickets per performance. That's roughly equal to Off-Off-Broadway.

Still, it didn't take too long for news to spread that the show will now tour the US, now with the credit that it's "Straight from Broadway!" if that should help attract midwest audiences.

But otherwise, I received about a dozen different press releases today proudly announcing that musicals that TARZAN, JERSEY BOYS, WICKED and GRINCH broke all-time sales records. WICKED, in fact, at a weekly gross of $1.7 million, broke the all-time weekly gross record for a Broadway show. Not bad for a somewhat bad musical.

So...I'm watching THE SIMPSONS, and out of nowhere, Krusty the Clown mentions that he won a Drama Desk Award for his one-man show. I happen to be a Drama Desk member, which is an organization meant to honor not just Broadway, but all of New York theater. And while that is a very benevolent decision, the group has very mixed perceptions among the theater industry. Some people like it, some could care less about it. Funny, but I don't remember Krusty appearing at last year's awards....Maybe he went on after the Jersey Boys sang "Walk Like a Man."

Anyhow, this week will feature the openings of no less than THREE Broadway productions. First, Part One, VOYAGE, of Tom Stoppard's huge three part trilogy of Russian intellectualism pre-revolution, THE COAST OF UTOPIA. My review will be out on Tuesday, but I'll tell you the gist: it's very beautiful, extremely impressive, but this part is also extremely expository and overlaiden with plot points and details. But as long as you get the general idea thematically, that being a society on the verge of change politically and culturally, you're fine. It's definitely worth catching.

Next on the list is the John Doyle minimalist revival, a la his SWEENEY TODD, of Stephen Sondheim's relationship musical COMPANY. I don't see it till tomorrow night, which will be reviewed on Thursday.

Finally, there is David Hare's THE VERTICAL HOUR. Hare, another prominent English contemporary playwright like Stoppard, made a splash Off-Broadway last season with STUFF HAPPENS. It's been noted that VERTICAL HOUR is his first play to open cold in New York without a prior London engagement. Julianne Moore stars.

I'd like to thank Jennifer Ashley Tepper for compiling this totally awesome list of the best selections on UTube for a musical theater fanatic.

Amazing BROADWAY Stuff on YouTube
______________________________________

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3TAb3B1CZsk&NR
LENNON does a medley on The Today Show. 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rXRO-bpapj8
BLOOD BROTHERS on the Tonys. 1993

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=97g_NubGvy8
CARRIE THE MUSICAL- Joel Siegel’s Review. 1988

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vjqLQjEcqhc
CARRIE THE MUSICAL- Pat Collins’ Review. 1988

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GVqBvvZNlnA
Kelly Bishop wins her Tony for A CHORUS LINE! 1976

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgscOvhLxu0
THE MUSIC MAN revival on the Tonys. 2000

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ns1H6bp7NlE
Sutton Foster singing Someone Else’s Story from CHESS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BcCLKn6W1xk
ME AND MY GIRL on the Tonys. 1987

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zCGLH9-0Djs
Sherie and Norbert doing Love Is My Legs from DIRTY ROTTEN SCOUNDRELS. 2005

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5uwS1KXc81U
ONCE ON THIS ISLAND on the Tonys. 1991

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MNwZq-TJgZY
Norbert Leo Butz singing I Could Be In Love With Someone Like You- cut from THE LAST FIVE YEARS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbmJapaBGgU
THE LIFE on the Tonys. 1997

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=diwmjyWLW3w
Three Bedroom House from BAT BOY.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BW2oPcSidRM
ASSASSINS on the Tonys. 2004

http://youtube.com/watch?v=Skz1eu8wovA
IN MY LIFE - In My Life.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=BNArSnp2SRo
IN MY LIFE- My Mothers Son.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=NRNAATr3l0w&search=tony%20award
THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL does Into the Fire on the Tonys. 1998

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lTu43bgYYZs
Gavin Creel does Going Down from HAIR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZ0a5HdzR5U
RAGS on the Tonys. 1987

http://youtube.com/watch?v=OjmtgNtK3r4
Norm Lewis and Audra McDonald singing Wheels of a Dream from RAGTIME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=niUwcdnwXJQ
BARE- You and I… Michael Arden!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iVhiw1wvkE0
BARE- Are You There?… Michael Arden!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nw6QE1L_T80
42ND STREET revival on the Tonys. 2001

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bfbkLo0OwI
What You Own from RENT- in 2005, Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KL7Xr0DJ49g
A CHORUS LINE, original on the Tonys. 1976

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SZcSM6wl2tU
LESTAT unreleased recordings- of Welcome to the World and I Want More.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xQESgmAZoOo
SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS on the Tonys. 2002

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z43UXTKBDrY
Pre- Broadway Tryout of TIMES THEY ARE A- CHANGIN’… and every aspect of this song changed before Broadway- from the costumes to the staging to the leading lady. Blowin’ in the Wind.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=q5hVQI9qpjs
Liz Callaway and Norm Lewis singing Good Morning Starshine/ Let the Sunshine In from HAIR.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AF40A7ItZC4
Michael Arden singing SHE LOVES ME.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JnKzs0kYlLo
Chita Rivera doing a song from MERLIN! RARE!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dq6_NWyvwD4
LES MISERABLES original cast on the Tonys. 1987

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cmKGsJGdStk
Don’t Worry Baby- Kate Reinders and the GOOD VIBRATIONS cast in rehearsal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_u0gY88XdO4
Fun Fun Fun- David Larsen and the GOOD VIBRATIONS cast in rehearsal.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iq4TVYR2ZLY
Michael Arden and Jenna Leigh Green- Forever Yours from ONCE ON THIS ISLAND.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=E8GpMTH0zTQ
Sutton Foster singing On My Way from VIOLET.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=ipNXD8IPcOA
A clip from TWO GENTLEMEN OF VERONA- THE MUSICAL at Shakespeare in the Park- Where’s North.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FrFl_LLIasM
Another clip from TWO GENTS- Summer Summer.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-FKPomje4-c
TABOO- Raul Esparza singing Petrified.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CZV431zhXA4
URINETOWN on the Tonys. 2002

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cq4IkDQHmog
Kerry Butler singing Gee Whiz.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KsFx5835Qrg
INTO THE WOODS, original cast on the Tonys. 1988

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XMi8nI480g
CARRIE THE MUSICAL- Wotta Night. 1988

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=22A51oAvCPA
Jenna Leigh Green does All Grown Up from BARE.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4MpJwud_AaM
TICK TICK BOOM- original cast, 30/90.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iwUwWfUB3...
Amazing- promo video for BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS GOES PUBLIC, the huge Broadway flop sequel!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KgbkrOL0MM8
Part Two of BEST LITTLE WHOREHOUSE IN TEXAS GOES PUBLIC.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JvYtaro4pn4
Chita and Liza sing from THE RINK. 1984

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mi9riCINSwQ
FALSETTOS on the Tonys. 1992

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XE-vFyGKu0
GUYS AND DOLLS revival on the Tonys. [And the best introduction by Carol Channing… in the most amazing glasses ever.] 1992

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tvKHd611Sg
YOU’RE A GOOD MAN CHARLIE BROWN on the Tonys.

http://www.youtube.com/w/The-best-degrassi-theme-song?v=43N_4WWLKgs&search=degrassi
A parody version of the Degrassi theme song.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=4O7CzvMLI1w
Sutton Foster and Julia Murney singing I Know Him So Well from CHESS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qBPbDwvN374
THE SECRET GARDEN on the Tonys. 1991

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7esLjR_O3SI
RAGTIME on the Tonys. 1998

This is turning into a big year of musical revivals - A CHORUS LINE, LES MIZ, COMPANY, THE APPLE TREE, 110 IN THE SHADE, maybe THE WIZ- but I think it's fair to say that the one to top them all will the City Center Encores! concert revival (with full orchestrations, of course) of Stephen Sondheim's masterpiece FOLLIES.

Encores received quite a bit of criticism a few months ago when it was first announced that it would launch a concert of FOLLIES. Sure, we all love FOLLIES, but Encores was created for the purpose of doing full concert revivals of musicals that would not otherwise merit full-scale Broadway revivals. As it happens, FOLLIES was revived by Roundabout just a few years ago and it is revived CONSTANTLY by regional theaters. However, what most of these new revivals cannot do is replicate the full orchestrations and sound of the original production (the revival had a pitifully small 15 person pit). That revival was also off in direction and casting in dozens of ways.

And in any case, I myself, and others, can admit that we'd much rather see a good concert of FOLLIES than a concert of a sub-par forgotten musical from the 1960s.

And so, here is the casting that has been announced as of the moment...

Christine Baranski - Carlotta Campion ("I'm Still Here")
Philip Bosco - Dimitri Weismann
Victoria Clark - Sally Durant Plummer ("Buddy's Eyes," Losing My Mind")
Michael McGrath - Buddy Plummer ("Buddy's Blues")
Donna Murphy (!!) - Phyllis Rogers Stone ("Could I Leave You")
Joanne Worley - Stella Deems ("Who's That Woman)
Benjamin Stone - TBA (Brian Stokes Mitchell?)
Lucine Amara - Heidi Schiller
Leena Chopra - Young Heidi
Yvonne Constant - Solange Lafitte
Robert Fitch - Theodore Whitman
Diane J. Findlay - Sandra Cranes
Arthur Rubin - Roscoe
Dorothy Stanley - Dee Dee West
Gerry Vichi - Max Deems."

Let me start by saying that I really thought that I was going to like MARY POPPINS. I received a copy of the London cast album nearly a year and a half ago and I've enjoyed listening to about a third of its content, mostly the songs originally from the film. I've watched the film countless times growing up. And, not to mention the fact that it got very decent reviews in London.

Well...unfortunately...that was not the case for me. And, it looks like I'm probably going to be in a "cheese stands alone" kind of corner in terms of my mixed-to-negative review (audio clip here). It's rather reminiscent of how I felt about last year's revival of THE PAJAMA GAME. Still, before I become trademarked as a grinch, let's remember that I was one of fewer print critics who gave A CHORUS LINE an unadaltered rave review.

It seems fair to assume that MARY POPPINS will be a hit, but one must not forget how quickly CHITTY CHITTY BANG BANG flopped, another recent musical based on a 60s musical about some form of flying and with Dick Van Dyke. But even for what I perceived to be its flaws, MARY POPPINS is a far better show than CHITTY.

In other news, I attended Jackie Mason at Feinstein's at the Regency earlier this week, where he announced that he will return to Broadway early next year and open in February. He didn't mention a theater, but it's fair to assume he'll be at the Helen Hayes, where he appeared last time and where JAY JOHNSON: THE TWO AND ONLY is currently selling fewer tickets than a fair number of Off-Off-Broadway shows.

Just arrived back from the mid-afternoon dress rehearsal of the CHICAGO tenth anniversary performance at Broadway's Ambassador Theatre. The official performance is tonight. But since that is being used as a benefit for Safe Horizons - we were told it raised $1.2 million - the press attended today's dress, in addition to a collection of working Broadway actors who will be busy with their own shows tonight like Christine Ebersole and John Lloyd Young.

The concert for the performance loosely mirrors that of the tenth anniversary performance of A CHORUS LINE, in which the entire show is performed, but with numerous actors from multiple versions of the cast, and from multiple stagings of the show throughout the world. Though CHICAGO did not stress the international angle as much as A CHORUS LINE did, which included many songs performed in non-English languages, we did get a huge dose of celebrity cameos from actors who previously played roles like Roxie, Velma, Billy and Amos.

The performance began nicely with an entrance by composer John Kander, who spoke the show's textual introduction himself, as penned by his late collaborator, lyricist and writer Fred Ebb ("Ladies and Gentlemen, this is a story of murder....all the things we hold near and dear to our hearts.")

The overture begins well enough. Rob Fisher, the original conductor and music director, is at the helm. The ensemble of the current Broadway cast is going through the motions of the opening choreography. We wonder: who will sing "All That Jazz". And the answer is....

Chita! And wow - she is incredible! She's even wearing the same style headress she used in the show. Her dancing is impeccable, as is her acting. Her performance of that one song was more worthy and incredible than all of "Chita Rivera: The Dancer's Life" put together.

Here are some other highlights/spoilers, a lot of which were predictable.

Brent Barrett and Brooke Shields - "The Gun Song"
Bebe Neuwirth and Ann Reiking - "Nowaday"
Karen Ziemba - "My Own Best Friend"
Christopher McDonald - most of the Billy Flynn dialogue
Ashlee Simpson - Roxie's dialogue of fallen tragedy after she is acquitted of murder (who was quite good in the role. lots of stage presence. Accent too thick, could be toned down. Looks like she'll be back on that stage soon enough...)
Joel Grey, joined by a chorus line of Amoses - "Mr. Sullophane"
Rita Wilson - "Funny Hunny"
Charlotte d'Amboise - "Me and My Baby"
Melanie Griffith - "Roxie"
Wayne Brady - joined "Razzle Dazzle" by the end of it
James Naughton - "All I Care About is Love"
Huey Lewis - random Billy moments
Ernie Sabella - Amos opening scene
Kevin Chamberlin - bulk of Amos dialogue
Tom Wopat - Billy dialogue prior to trial
John O'Hurley - Billy during during trial

Broadway Unplugged, which lined up about 20 Broadway performers for the third year in a row to croon their favorite showtune standards without the assistance of a microphone, originally created to expand upon the Broadway by the Year concert gimmick of having such talented actors do several numbers off-mic, here expanded to a full concert of acoustic wonder.

However, it also occurred to me tonight that having a cabaret/musical theater in which actors are forced to perform solos with no microphone changes more than just their voice. It affects the way they use their body, how they look at the audience, and overall adds more intensity to the emotional experience. After all, by removing the microphone, it's as of we've removed a crutch or a training wheel away from the singer. Without it, he is truly onstage alone! He is no longer able to hide his body weight behind the microphone and press it to his face, but must move freely around the stage.

Though most of the performances tonight were quite good, the showstopping performance, without question, went to recent Tony Award winner Beth Leavel of THE DROWSY CHAPERONE, who performed "Surabaya-Santa" from Jason Robert Brown's SONGS FOR A NEW WORLD, his edgy, wonderful 1996 revue which would make a great Off-Broadway revival at say Second Stage or Roundabout.

Each time I see one of these concerts, I wonder whether they would be better with or without Scott Siegel's narration, which turns an event that could easily be an 80 minute intermissionless concert into a 2-and-a-half hour one including the mandatory bathroom break. Overall, I'd have to lean towards keeping him at his podium. He deserves the right to be there if he wants to be. After all, he created the series. If he wants to crack jokes and add some dramaturgical history, I say let him have a field day. Let him be "The Man in Chair" (i.e. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE).

Here is the full song list.
Nancy Anderson - "Naughty Marietta"
Sarah Uriarte Berry - "Somebody Somewhere"
Chuck Cooper - "All I Care"
Roosevelt Andre Credit & Bruce Johnson - "Muddy Water"
Bill Daugherty & Connie Pachl - "Pack Up Your Sins and Go to the Devil"
Mary Bond Davis - "Down with Love"
Jeffry Denman - "Yankee Doodle Dandy"
Lisa Howard - "I Dreamed a Dream" (who of course was superior to that trainwreck of a Fantine now on Broadway...though I did notice a conspicously loud quantity of coughing at the start of her performance. Fishy?)
Barg Jungr - "When You're Good to Mama"
Eddie Korbich - "Love in a New Tempo"
Marc Kudisch - "Softly as in a Morning Sunrise"/"The First Time" (who looks much less scary with his full head of hair grown back)
Douglas Ladnier - "You'll Never Walk Alone"
Beth Leavel - "Surabaya-Santa"
Norm Lewis - "Golden Rainbow"/"I Got Rhythm"
Liz McCartney - "Coronet Man"
William Michals - "The Impossible Dream"
Euan Morton - "Not While I'm Around"
John Lloyd Young - "Never Will I Marry"
Finale - "For Good"/"Goodnight My Someone" (dedicated to the memory of Edith Kantor, Broadway by the Year financial supporter who passed away three weeks ago)

To show what I mean regrading how the hair affects Marc Kudisch, let's compare his hair and hairless pics.

Well, it's Monday at 3pm as I sit at my dorm room typing in between completing my daily twelve hours of law school homework, but I wanted to share my theatrical adventures of this past weekend.

Friday night - THE LITTLE DOG LAUGHED on Broadway. This review is set to run on Tuesday. I, for one, was very suprised to hear that this contemporary comedy would indeed make the move to Broadway, which was praised by some critics, myself included, mainly for Julie White's hilarious dynamic performance as a Hollywood power agent. Luckily, however, I enjoyed Douglas Carter Beane's satire on a whole a lot more. Read the review for more details.

Saturday night - MARY POPPINS. Well, it would be inappropriate for me to disclose my feelings on the show now, which doesn't actually open till Thursday night. I will say though...it seems pretty clear that Disney Theatricals has more than a style, but a philosophy - of style over substance. This show, however, attempted to add substance along with the style, but....well....read the review on Friday!

Sunday afternoon - EVITA. This was an undergraduate production by Cap21, a musical theater studio affiliated with New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, presented in the studio's small black box theater with basically no set, 22 actors and a small pit. Luckily, however, the cast was very, very strong and I had a great time. Though the work of Mr. Lloyd Webber has been disappointing since - well - JOSEPH, Evita has a very strong, extremely catchy score that mixes lots of different styles of music and rhythm, rather like JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR.

Tonight, I am attending BROADWAY UNPLUGGED III at Town Hall, which has become a highlight attraction of the Broadway By the Year Series, which is produced by my talented colleague Scott Siegel, who is a critic with his equally perceptive wife Barbara for Theatermania.com and Talkinbroadway.com. If not BROADWAY UNPLUGGED tonight, I highly recommend that readers check out at least one BROADWAY BY THE YEAR concert later next season.

In terms of theater news, I was saddened to hear of the death of Broadway publicist Bob Fennell at 48 due to sudden illness. My experiences with him were essentially limited to emailing or phoning him to set up attending his agency's shows, which have lately included WICKED, SPELLING BEE, and THREE DAYS OF RAIN. He was very respected in the industry and had a gentlemanly reputation.

Musical theater geeks such as myself have a tendency to use showtune lyrics to express our emotions at times. It's not even a choice...it just kinds of happens naturally. So, here are a few of the lyrics and showtune titles I've heard tonight from loyal Democrats.

"Good Morning Sunshine/Let the Sunshine" - Hair
"Love is Sweeping the Country" - Of Thee I Sing
"We Can Do It!" - The Producers
Entire text of "Republicans," cut song from A New Brain
"There's a Bright Golden Haze on the Meadow" - Oklahoma
"The Country's in the Very Best of Hands" - Lil Abner
"If I Were a Bell I'd Be Ringing" - Guys and Dolls
"I Could Have Danced All Night" - My Fair Lady
"Morning Glow" - Pippin
"A New Argentina" - Evita

Are we really ready for the return of "Les Miz?" Or, are you like me and you somehow feel like it's never really left at all?

The show will be a bit different than from what we remember. Though the staging will be more or less identical, it has been reconceived to an extent to fit a smaller theater, and will also have minimalized orchestrations, as is the unstoppable trend nowadays.

Among the British mega-musicals ("Cats," "The Phantom of the Opera," "Miss Saigon," "Les Miz"), ALL of them have been produced by Cameron Macintosh, the English theater producer whose opulent successes rival that of Ziegfeld. However, among those spectacles, "Les Miz" has the most humanity. Even if it is a show recognized mainly by its barricade sets and epic storyline and nasal ballads, "Les Miz," in its way, is a show about finding God in a very New Testament way. Pay close attention to Jean Valjean in the Prologue and you'll see what I mean.

"Les Miz" opens Thursday night and reviews will be out on Friday morning. Word on the street is that the show is basically fine, but it apparently may have been better off without the questionable casting of a certain Broadway diva in a supporting role. In any case, though she has the show's best ballad, her character dies after like ten minutes. Big deal. Who cares. There are like 15 other lead roles to worry about.

Just a year ago, the industry was cheering on the death of "Sweet Charity" so "The Wedding Singer" could take its home at the Al Hirschfeld Theatre. This was, of course, after it was clear that Britney Spears would not be entering the show, as that would have been undoubtably amusing to see.

And now, history is repeating itself. After months of speculation that the new musical "Curtains" would take over the Al Hirschfeld Theatre, that "Wedding Singer" would close by New Years, and the industry cheering on the change, it's finally been officially announced.

New York Times critic Ben Brantley has a tendency to SWOON for certain actresses - Kristen Chenoweth, Donna Murphy, Cherry Jones and once even Melanie Griffith. So though he still did not seem to approve of "Grey Gardens" as a new musical, in and of itself, his love letter of a review of Christine Ebersole, was even more metaphoric than the one he penned last year when the show was at Playwrights Horizons.

Personally, I liked the show more BACK THEN. I think the score of Act One was a lot stronger, before they pulled four particular songs: "Tomorrow's Woman," "Being Bouvier," "Better Fall Out of Love" and "Body Beautiful Beale." I also liked Sara Gettelfinger's performance than that of Erin Davie, as Gettelfinger was more fierce and compelling. But as I mentioned in my review, I think the setup (Act One in 1941, Act Two in 1971) was problematic. It should have taken place entirely in 1971, with intermittant flashbacks to 1941 within it.