Okay. Newsies. This is the first show that I spent full-price on. At the time, I had heard nothing but good things about it, I was in love with Jeremy Jordan from Bonnie and Clyde, and it was still a limited engagement with a lottery rush. I HAD to see it because, as someone who was not part of this cult who loved the 1992 movie starring Christian Bale (yes, Batman), I had some pretty high expectations for it. I don't want to say those expectations weren't met...but...they weren't. And now is about when I get assassinated via the internet by crazy Newsies fans. I'M SORRY, but I don't get the appeal! In fact, I will go so far to say if Andrew Keenan-Bolger (Crutchie) and Jeremy Jordan (Jack Kelly) were not in it, I'd be kind of pissed that I spent over $100 on this for my birthday. Now, I'm not saying it's not a great show, because clearly people are LOVING it, but it just was not my cup of tea. Let's talk about the choreography for a second, though. THAT was amazing. The men in this musical are absolutely OUTSTANDING. I loved them. I may not have cared about what the action was, but when they were dancing, nothing else in the world mattered. I could not stop staring at them with my mouth agape, genuinely impressed. It has been so long since I have seen that level of talent in a musical and it was refreshing to see something so choreographed. I was just so impressed. I have never seen something more deserving of a Tony in my life and I'm glad they were awarded with the Best Choreography Tony. Kudos. The music was okay. I didn't buy the entire cast recording, but I bought a few songs including "Santa Fe," "The World Will Know," "Seize the Day," and "Brooklyn's Here." Those are the four that really stood out to me, and "Santa Fe" was extra perfect because it was Jeremy Jordan's big belt number. Jeremy Jordan is a phenomenal performer and he really lights up a stage. He's a star. I can't wait to see more from him. Andrew Keenan-Bolger as Crutchie is absolutely perfect. I wish he was (spoiler alert) in the second act. That may have made me like it less, because I was so Crutchie-less for so long. He's charming and so fun and he's just so amazing. I'm surprised he wasn't nominated for a Tony. I did not like Kara Lindsay at all as the Bill Murray character from the film combined with the Sarah character. Her voice made me want to jump off of the mezzanine. Sorry. She also seemed like a hastily created character (which she probably was) and I just didn't...feel anything for her. I didn't need Jack Kelly to end up with her. I don't think it would've hurt to include David and Les's family life - this show definitely could've used more female characters. I didn't see the film, but I like this part of the synopsis when Jack meets their family and everything. It could've been sweet if it was done well. I like to think it couldn't be done well, so they cut it, though - something more shows (especially musical adaptations of films) should try. The set was neat, if you go see it, don't sit too far back in the orchestra - I was advised not to since the set is so high, the mezzanine cuts off some of the action that happens on the third story of the set. The set was kind of neat, but nothing to write home about. I enjoyed the projections - something that seems to be increasingly common in Broadway productions (Bonnie and Clyde, Rent, etc.) and they were used very well in this production. I can't quite pinpoint why I wasn't so blown away with this show. Maybe because it was so hyped up and everyone was like, "You will love it," and my friends have been obsessing about it since it was at Paper Mill. Once was enough for me. If you love the movie, I'd see it, but if you're on the fence, I definitely wouldn't rush to pay full price (though the lottery will probably be crazy for a while if Wicked is any indication). I'd give Newsies (for me) a B-. It did not live up to the hype for me. Newsies has been extended from a limited engagement to an open run, currently playing at the Nederlander. Jeremy Jordan has left to film Smash and Corey Cott is now Jack Kelly. To get tickets and learn more, visit www.newsiesthemusical.com!
Let's talk about the dark horse of the 2012 Tony season: Leap of Faith. This musical, based on the 1992 Steve Martin film, was DESTROYED by critics and it shocked everyone when it was only nominated for one Tony, which was Best Musical. I have never seen the film, so I didn't really know what to expect and frankly, the synopsis didn't particularly strike my fancy, but it was starring Raul Esparza singing music written by Alan Menken. When things like that come together, if you like theater, you go. So, the story is that Esparza plays Jonas Nightengale, a con man that stages revivals to steal money from townies and he blows into a small, down on their luck Kansas town in the middle of a drought. Jonas works with his sister, Sam (played by Kendra Kassebaum) and his friend/singer/book keeper, Ida Mae (played by Kecia Lewis-Evans) and the rest of his Angels to spy and swindle towns, blowing out of town before they know what happened. Which is the plan when the story starts until Jonas meets a woman (the sheriff, Marla, played by Jessica Phillips) and her son, Jake (played by Talon Ackerman), who is in a wheelchair after the car accident that killed her husband and his father. I went into this knowing that reviews were absolutely terrible, but being in love with Raul Esparza and Alan Menken, I did not care. AND I'M GLAD I DID NOT CARE. I absolutely fell IN LOVE with this show. I am devastated that it closed and did not do better. It was like Bonnie & Clyde syndrome all over again and it devastated me. I went twice within a week because I needed more before I couldn't see it anymore. The music was so fun and outstanding. I really enjoyed just about every song and thankfully, there will be a cast recording so this can live on and hopefully others will discover it and the show will get a second life. The lyrics were smooth and fun, every now and then a little verbose, but it was catchy and I caught myself singing "Rise Up" for the next like four days. The ensemble was amazing. They all were clearly so in love with this show and they had so much fun, which really made it energetic and great. There was some audience participation, handing out fake money to put into a collection basket during the first act, taking video beforehand to put on screens and juggling between a live-"revival" and a flashback to retell the story - there were direct addresses, but it worked. This cast was having the time of their lives and it was refreshing to see people who loved something so much and pour their hearts and souls into a show. Plus Bryce Ryness and Louis Hobson were in it, which made me so happy because I love them. Let's single some people out, shall we? Krystal Joy Brown played Ornella, Ida Mae's daughter and one of the Angels. I saw her in a touring production of Rent years ago and I absolutely loved her then she has just gotten better with time. Her voice is absolutely OUTSTANDING and I love her. When she sang "On the Bus" with Kendra Kassebaum and Kecia Lewis-Evans, everyone in the audience, both nights, lost their minds. We were screaming and squealing and clapping. This is a trio of powerhouse women and it's not fair that I cannot see them perform together whenever I feel like it because they were outstanding. Krystal Joy Brown is a true triple threat - she can sing her butt off, dance her butt off, and she can act. I need to see more of her. Kendra Kassebaum is better known for playing Glinda in Wicked, but she was great as Sam. Sam's character was a little static, but she really was sweet and her heart was in the right place. I really enjoyed what Kassebaum did with the character that could've been further developed. Kecia Lewis-Evans as Ida Mae was outstanding. She's just got a phenomenal voice and every time she opened her mouth I just wanted to cry. I'm most excited for the cast recording to be able to listen to her whenever I feel like it. Leslie Odom Jr. from the TV show Smash, played Ida Mae's son, Isaiah, who usually only sees things in black and white and dreams of being a real reverend. I love this man. He's perfect. He's sweet (we waited at the stage door hahaha), but he played this character that I wasn't sure I liked. He can dance, which is what he does most often in Smash, but his voice is absolutely amazing. If Ida Mae's family were real, they'd make me sick because that much talent should not be allowed in one family. He's despicable, but the audience cannot be that mad at him because he's just trying to save the townspeople and his family. Jessica Phillips was a really great love interest/antagonist/star. She reminded me of Idina Menzel, a lot, and she's really great. She has a great voice and she looked beautiful (tall and statuesque) and she had fantastic chemistry with Raul Esparza. The only thing I didn't like was how quick she was to jump in bed with him, I wasn't sure I quite bought that. Lastly, Mr. Esparza himself. He definitely carries this show and his song at the end, "Jonas' Soliloquy" was AMAZING. THAT alone was worth the money. It definitely seemed like a vehicle to let Raul Esparza shine, but I'm not even mad and shine he did. He was truly outstanding and he matched all of the chemistry that everyone threw his way and I cannot believe this cast could do this with this energy eight nights a week and critics were not impressed. The set was absolutely beautiful. It was very simple, but the lighting made everything soft and nice and aesthetically pleasing. They used a lot of the theater, including the audience, the balconies as exits, etc. and that's something I always really enjoy. There were some lulls in the story where things could've been explained a little better or differently (like I said, Jonas' relationship with Marla), but then there were things that I really loved to watch (like Jonas' relationship with Jake). Plus, at the end, it rains. It's a huge water number, which I'm always impressed with on stage because they are so intricate and complicated to do. Way to be, Leap of Faith. This was a FUN show and I'm so mad that no critics seemed to truly appreciate that. It was such a heavy season, I feel, that it was refreshing and nice to see a musical that was just as fun for the audience as it seemed to be for the cast. It didn't even get a chance to truly shine. When they performed at the Tony Awards, my mom was like "Why is Mamma Mia still open and this isn't?" Good question, mom. I need the cast recording IMMEDIATELY. It is coming. Buy it. It was really fun music and a really great show with a lot of heart. Alan Menken tweeted that it would be released mid-September, so I'm waiting, stalking iTunes and Amazon constantly for a release date. I give Leap of Faith a B. It had some flaws, but it was not as terrible as people made it out to be. It had a bunch of complicated and lovable characters. Unfortunately, this show closed May 13th 2012, after only 24 previews and 20 performances. Robbed.
YAY! The show I was DYING to see: Wicked! I saw the touring cast in 2010 when they stopped in Pittsburgh, but I was dying to see it on Broadway in its home. I was trying and trying to win the lottery to no avail and then one frigid day, I got lucky! I won a front row ticket to Wicked! So, first things first: front row is terrible. It was a phenomenal show and I loved it, but it kind of sucked sitting that close because it was like sitting in the front row at a movie and having to turn your head from side to side to see the action and it was harder to take it all in. I would rather have a partial view further back (like for How to Succeed or Billy Elliot), but I got to see it for $26, I cannot complain. I was also excited because Richard H. Blake was Fiyero. I love him as Warner in Legally Blonde, so I was really excited to see him. He was good! He was not the best Fiyero (how can someone compete with Norbert Leo Butz or Aaron Tveit?), but he was really good and he had some lovely runs. I really enjoyed his vocals in "Dancing Through Life," although he seemed a little lackluster and not as energetic as one would think Fiyero would be during his big number and that was a little bummer. But he was charming and I really believed the switch to loving Elphaba. Speaking of Elphie, Jackie Burns is an AMAZING Elphaba. She has a beautiful voice and her "Defying Gravity" brought me to tears. She's outstanding and I really loved being so close because she was never out of the moment. She was so enthusiastic to go to Shiz and she was so overprotective of her sister and caring. She was truly spectacular. I adored her. When she came out at the end I lost it and I was bawling when she left with Fiyero. She had a really spectacular chemistry with Chandra Lee Schwartz. Chandra Lee Schwartz might be one of my favorite Glindas of all time, based on what I've seen on YouTube (though I saw Katie Rose Clark in Pittsburgh and she was absolutely HILARIOUS). She has an OUTSTANDING voice. She is an absolute powerhouse and she's so beautiful and so great. I loved her a lot. I would love to see the show again to see her again. She was bubbly and energetic and I really truly felt for her revelations with Elphaba and Fiyero and her "Thank Goodness" really broke my heart. She was phenomenal and I'm so lucky to have seen her. The set is outstanding and the ensemble was fantastic and it was clear that they felt blessed to be part of such a significant show. I really enjoyed watching them and it was great to be able to look at them so close, none of them (that I saw) broke character and stayed in the action at all times. I love Wicked's set and I really enjoy how they use the entire stage. It isn't much different from the tour set, it's just more intricate and solid. I also really enjoyed the lighting and the special effects used throughout the show and the flying monkeys were great. I would give Wicked an A. The show was great, the cast was amazing, but I'd maybe rethink the lottery, just because you are so close it's a little hard to take in the entire scene, especially when Elphaba flies for "Defying Gravity." Wicked is still playing at the Gershwin Theater and you can get tickets and find out more at www.wickedthemusical.com!
Wow. How I Learned to Drive. What a show. I first read this play while I was in high school, not paying attention during an English class. It was in our anthology and I started reading it (we were talking about Julius Caesar - no, thanks) and finished it by the time the period was over and I was horrified and captivated at the same time. Since then, I've always been interested to see how it was done, so I was excited to hear that it was going to be done this year, especially with Norbert Leo Butz (even though that scared me). I love Norbert Leo Butz. I wish I had been able to see him in The Last Five Years because I love that show's music and I'm sure he was absolutely incredible. He has the voice of angels. I was nervous to see him in this because he wasn't singing and because he was Uncle Peck. Just to give you some background, this is the general synopsis of the play from Wikipedia: "The story follows the strained, sexual relationship between Li'l Bit and her aunt's husband, Uncle Peck, from her adolescence through her teenage years into college and beyond. Using the metaphor of driving and the issues ofpedophilia, incest, and misogyny, the play explores the ideas of control and manipulation." It is definitely not a show that you leave feeling okay with. I left feeling kind of uncomfortable and stunned, despite knowing what was going to happen and it gets very raw and it can be a little hard to take. I think it was acted beautifully, though I think Elizabeth Reaser was a little...dramatic. It's a dramatic show, but she played young in a very sort of stereotypical way and she was a little loud and a little static. It would've been interesting to see what the Twihards who were there thought, because there were definitely people waiting for her after with DVDs and books for her to sign. The chorus was a little strange, but I really enjoyed the end when Li'l Bit both, flips out on Uncle Peck after he asks a question when she's in college and when the audience gets to see how this all started - the first time Uncle Peck feels Li'l Bit up in the car. The whole play is a little unsettling, especially, because it's clearly not entirely all Uncle Peck, which really makes an audience member question what they know and what's right versus what's wrong. At one point, Li'l Bit's mother and aunt both confront her about what she's doing and how it is wrong - which is a little disconcerting because she is a child, but she's also old enough to know what she's doing. The stage was neat and really pretty. There wasn't too much to say, it stayed more or less the same throughout the entire show, with lighting and props playing a big part in really changing up where we are. It reminded me a lot of the productions put on at the Pittsburgh Public Theater, which made me a little soft, thinking about home. It is a very thought-provoking play and it certainly makes the audience think after - which is something I love about plays. I love musicals because they are so happy and upbeat and usually resolve neatly, but when a play is not afraid to be dark and go some place that the audience may find uncomfortable, I find that to be the best. All in all, I'd give this show a solid B. Norbert Leo Butz was really outstanding as Uncle Peck and I did feel bad for him, unfortunately Elizabeth Reaser brought it down a little bit. This show closed March 11, 2011.
I was so excited to see this show. I love the story of Bonnie and Clyde. This is the first show I saw that introduced me to Jeremy Jordan and now I completely love him (he is the only reason I saw Newsies). This is a show that has been through some shit, frankly. Critics for some reason don't like to give Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll and Hyde) credit when credit is due and I feel as though Bonnie & Clyde received a lot of flack because of that relationship. Jeff Calhoun, the director, has even been quoted as saying that he has "never had a show close while it was still playing to audiences like a hit." It's true - this show played like a hit.
Right from the beginning, it holds the audiences attention. One hears a radio playing a quaint tune (later learned to be "How 'Bout a Dance?'") and the silhouette of a car becomes clear behind a scrim, before it is lit into by dozens of bullets - the scrim rises and you see bloodied and murdered Bonnie and Clyde slumped behind the wheel of the car. Talk about demanding an audiences attention right from the start. I LOVED the way it started. It was startling, but absolutely amazing. It was really great.
I really enjoyed this set. In addition to beautiful cars, and real-looking little shacks and dusty houses, they made good use of projections, which showed the audience photos of the real Bonnie and Clyde (mugshots, iconic pictures such as Bonnie with the cigar, and newspaper headlines), in addition to photos of the real Blanche and Buck. It was really nice and innovative and they took full advantage of this - something that I think really added to the storytelling - reminding the audience that this is based on true events and these were real people.
I enjoyed this retelling of Bonnie and Clyde's story because it really made them seem more endearing and more fun. They were two crazy kids in love, Bonnie with dreams of becoming "the main attraction at the picture show, like Clara Bow" and Clyde wanting to be like Al Capone. They were very human in this and two kids in love that just followed a series of unfortunate circumstances while looking for a better life.
Laura Osnes and Jeremy Jordan had PHENOMENAL chemistry. It was absolutely amazing. I really felt like they were absolutely in love and could not get enough of one another. They were electric and my friend and I both left saying that we wanted a love like Bonnie and Clyde's - minus getting shot up in the end.
Melissa van der Schyff was phenomenal as Blanche and I was rather surprised that she wasn't nominated for a Tony. She was hilarious and wonderful and funny and sad and she has an amazing voice. I felt so bad for Blanche and started to tear up when she lost Buck, especially after she followed him, just to lose him anyway.
There were a few points where I got a little bored ("You Love Who You Love" cannot hold my attention at all), but overall it was a fun show and it was really nice. It was also touching that they got shot going to see their parents to give them money - they were good kids just tired of being poor. It was especially good because it made the circumstances seem less extreme, especially given the economy these days.
I'm so happy that this show managed to get a cast recording. It was so much fun and so short-lived - it will at least live on in my car.
I give Bonnie & Clyde an A-. This show closed (prematurely) on December 30, 2011 after just 36 regular performances.
Billy Elliot - what to say? This is probably one of my favorite shows of all time. I absolutely love the movie that it was based on, I love Elton John - I was dying to see it. The day I was going to see it, I wasn't planning on it. I had woken up early and hiked my butt uptown to see if I could get lucky at the Wicked lottery and when I loss, I ran blocks to see if there were any student rush tickets left for Billy. Thankfully, there were.
I was nervous waiting for it to begin, because I wasn't sure what to expect, since the movie is so something that didn't seem like it would translate well on stage. Boy, was I wrong. I actually ended up seeing this show twice, with two different Billys and Michaels.
This show was absolutely outstanding. I understand why it swept the Tony Awards in 2009. The music was amazing and I loved how strong and solid they sounded. They are mostly men, and it sounded amazing. My favorite song was "Solidarity," because I loved the way that the deep men's voices combined with the delicate little girl voices, combining the vulgarity of the strike and the innocence of the children.
My favorite number visually is "Grandma's Song." It was really nice to see her, on the stage, telling her story and the men's ensemble smoking and working with chairs. It really gave it a haunting vibe, like the audience was truly traveling into this woman's memories and it was very effective and it was really beautiful to watch. The staging and the choreography of this number were really outstanding and it definitely stood out and lingered with me.
The cast was really great and the relationship between Billy and his father, Jackie was great, as was the relationship between Mrs. Wilkinson and both Billy and Jackie. You could see the strain on Billy's relationship with his father that dancing in secret created, and you could also see how conflicted Jackie was and how much he cared about Billy. It was also clear how much of a mother figure Mrs. Wilkinson became to Billy - which, speaking of, I really enjoyed how they managed to incorporate his deceased mother through a letter and fond memories.
The only thing that I wish was different was Michael's relationship with Billy. It was a little too comical, which I enjoyed ("Expressing Yourself" was SO much fun and resulted in an epic applause) - in the film, I really enjoyed how uncertain and a little concerned Michael was about his homosexuality and that Billy loved his friend anyway.
The set is really cool! It was very simple for the most part, with three walls to make it either look like the gym where the dancing and boxing took place or the apartments where Billy and his family lived. The best part was the way that his house rose from the floor with his bedroom on top and the kitchen in the bottom. It was really cool and added an ew dimension, which was nice to see.
The dancing was great, as well (as could be expected) and I loved watching this young kid dance so phenomenally, especially when Billy danced with his older dream-self. It was great!
This show is really outstanding. It makes you feel so much and you laugh and you cry and it's just really phenomenal. It's sad that it closed, though it had a long, happy life on Broadway (although, it could've been longer). It is on tour, so I definitely recommend trying to go see it if it comes near you. It definitely made a "Billyver" out of me.
I give Billy Elliot an A. This show closed January 8, 2012 after 1,304 regular performances.
This blog needs to be made. I love theater, it's my passion. It's great - it makes me laugh, it makes me cry. I probably should be getting my MA in Performance Studies instead of Cinema Studies.
I'm making this because after watching a snippet of Nice Work If You Can Get It on The View today, my mom and I were talking about how annoying it is when the bulk of Tony nominations go towards shows that are more conventional and more old-fashioned and the lack of other cultures in and on Broadway today. I'm going to review shows that I've seen and talk candidly about my thoughts on them.
I go to school in New York, so I go to shows fairly often now and there are some big shows I want to see that I haven't yet (Once,Peter and the Starcatcher) so those will have to wait until later. I am going to backtrack a little and only cover musicals that I have seen in the past year in New York (November-May).
I will say that I do not read reviews of musicals from major media outlets, but rather look at what the average audience member says about it. There are some definite problems, especially when a lot of new shows depend on the critical response and many just get shut down (in reviews and in reality) without a fair shot and some of these shows are really rather good.
The shows I've seen that will be reviewed within the next few days:
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying (with Daniel Radcliffe) Billy Elliot: The Musical Bonnie and Clyde How I Learned to Drive Wicked Leap of Faith Newsies End of the Rainbow A Streetcar Named Desire
Many of these shows are closed, but some of them are still open or touring and some have just extended their runs on Broadway.
