Morning News: Tuesday, July 1, 2008
*Kristin Scott Thomas will arrive on Broadway in her Olivier Award-winning role of Arkadina in the Royal Court Theatre production of Chekhov’s THE SEAGULL, starting previews in September at the Walter Kerr Theatre, now home to A CATERED AFFAIR. The rest of the cast is mostly from the original production, though Zoe Kazan will join as Masha.
*Curtis Holbrook enters the cast of XANADU tonight as Sonny, the stoned artist with dreams of building a multiplex for the arts, leaving Cheyenne Jackson to take part in the Encores production of DAMN YANKEES.
*So I did attend RADIO BROADWAY last night. And to say the least, it made me appreciate how incredibly well-done BBTY shows are by comparison.
Since this was the trial run of RADIO BROADWAY, I'll be kind. The musical performances were unanimously excellent, with no less than six backup singers and a five-piece rock band. But the concept remained undeveloped and awkward, with Raymond Macleod, taking over Scott Siegel's BBTY podium, acting like a 1950s radio announcer and reading off of a less than funny script. (I noticed that in addition to cameos from Macleod's two daughters, his wife directed the production.) He even tried to show a range of emotion, including huge, random fits of anger, but not to great success.
Macleod looked stiff as the host, often trying too hard to win the audience's affection. Instead of merely reading the facts of 1958 in a speech, as Siegel would do, Macleod tried to interpolate skits with other cast members, which often felt like a waste of time. But in one rather moving sequence, original AMERICAN BANDSTAND cast members were invited to dance again onstage. Felt very FOLLIES.
I wouldn't mind seeing another RADIO BROADWAY production. In fact, Macleod frequently touted that this is intended to be a long-running series and that 1969 will be the next featured year. But the concept will have to shape up and artistically evolve if it is to continue.
