I spent the beginning of the day at Theater on Film and Tape to watch the Hal Prince Livent revival of SHOWBOAT, which actually marked the first time I've ever watched a stage production of this oh so holyest of shows in musical theater history, though I know the score like by heart and have seen each of its film versions countless times.
Then went over to Chatterbox for the second day in a row for the Talent Showcase of my friend Seth Bisen-Hersh. I had to leave halfway through, but what I saw looked pretty promising.
He opened with "If Only I Were Gay," a song from his musical MEANINGLESS SEX, which I actually reviewed at Fringe 2003 far before I ever met Seth. It's probably one of Seth's best songs, but a questionable choice to open up his show, considering how many sexual explitives the song involves. I'm not sure whether this was meant to be a showcase only for his songs as a composer, or for both that as well as his piano playing abilities, from which he leads a pretty successful life as an audition pianist. If the former, then he should probably reconsider letting his performers sing material from other authors. Why? Because it creates an unnecessary frame of comparison between his original songs and famed stuff.
Anyhow, tonight marked my fifth time at CHICAGO over the past year. The other recent trips have included to see Usher, The 10th Anniversary Concert Dress, Bebe Neuwirth, Joey Lawrence, and now Lisa Rinna and her husband Harry Hamlin, the first husband and wife to play Roxie and Billy - though Barrie Weissler has always dreamed of having Michael Douglas and Catherine Zeta Jones do Billy/Roxie.
Hamlin was one of the most genuine looking Billys I've ever seen. And Lisa of course was gorgeous looking, maybe too good looking for Roxie. Neither was too strong vocally, but I think they pulled the roles off pretty decently.
Harry's best moment occurred at the end of Act One, after Lisa had fainted and done the "I'm gonna have a baby" bit. Harry says that he'll get her the best doctor. BIG PAUSE. Now finally he says to the journalists/dance chorus in a pseudocaring politican manner - SOMEBODY, PICK THAT GIRL UP!
Comments (2)
Second - this was big - a new lyric at the end of "Roxie" - get this - Roxie and the Boys sing - SOPHIE TUCKER WILL S**T I KNOW, TO SEE HER NAME GET BILLED BELOW, FOXY ROXIE HART.
That's not a new lyric. It's always been there.
I can't wait to see Harry and Lisa!! But one question: I don't understand your comment about the "new lyric" at the end of "Roxie." They've sung that line every time I've seen the show-- plus, it's in the movie version and on the 1975 OBCR. What's new about it? Or were you just joking about the lyric, and I didn't get it?