Tom Hanks narrates Academy Award winning director Davis Guggenheim’s mini-documentary The Road We’ve Traveled. The doc highlights the insurmountable and historic challenges faced by President Obama during his first term and the progress he made. It is definitely worth a view and is chuck full of facts that should quickly silence any critics of Obama’s Presidency. Take a look at the film below:
Sleep No More: Sleep No More is like no other theatrical experience one can ever have. Instead of entering a theater and passively watching a show unfold on a stage, the audience here actually is immersed directly into the production, is side-by-side with the actors, and interacts with the myriad of sets, rooms, and props as they experience the scenes and have their own unique perspective of the show. The actors here are brilliant. Like the audience, they do not talk. But unlike the audience, who must wear masks throughout their stay at the “McKitrick Hotel,” they are easily recognized. The sets and scenes are macabre; and it’s very difficult to really make sense of what’s going on. The audience follows the actors as they go room-to-room and act out their role in the “story,” all of which must be interpreted in silence. I am very glad I got to participate in Sleep No More. It was fascinating and exciting; and the sets were absolutely spine-tingling, scary, and extraordinarily detailed. While I often felt like I was on a “wild goose chase” literally running after the actors and could make little sense of things, the entire experience was very cool. I don’t think I would do it again and I see serious issues with someone attempting to complete it if they cannot ambulate well. But it is something worth doing that provides quite a unique theatrical experience.
RENT: RENT is currently playing in a “reimagined” form at New World Stages Off-Broadway. The only thing I can say about the show, is that it was simply awful. When the original director of RENT (Michael Grief) admits he brought the show back to the stage for profit (which he did to Broadway World), be warned. But when you compile a cast that is shockingly amiss for a show that was a centerpiece of musical theater for over a decade and is loved and cherished by millions, you aren’t going to please many fans of the show. There are a small number of bright spots. The actors who portray Collins (Tony nominee Brandon Victor Dixon), Maureen (Emma Hunton), and Angel (MJ Rodriguez) are great. But the remainder are either horribly miscast (a great example of which is Justin Johnston–who played Angel wonderfully in the show on Broadway but bombs as Roger) or are relatively talentless. Arianda Fernandez butchers the role of MiMi–her voice was void of any dynamic quality and was either soft as a whisper or harsh as a dog bark. She even cracked several of the more punctuated words of many of RENT‘s classic songs. And Josh Grisetti’s Mark is atrocious. He appears to have little to no formal vocal training as he sounded much more as if he were talking through the songs rather than singing them. RENT is a wonderful show that is unbelievably poignant and moving. But this staging of RENT is worthless. If you’re a fan of the show, do yourself a huge favor and SKIP this trashing of the production at New World Stages.
Love can never be an easy road to travel in life. And despite the traditional depiction of love as roses, violets, and happy endings in other forms of entertainment, it rarely is depicted on the stage as an easy feat. And for the new gorgeously lush and moving musical Once, that is certainly true. The show is based on a 2006 independent film of the same title that I have never seen. It also garnered praise and won an Academy Award for Best Song for “Falling Slowly,” the reprisal of which in this show will send chills up and down your spine and really tug on your heartstrings. Once originated off-Broadway and the transition to the Great White Way seems to have been seamless.
While the staging is simple and basic (but don’t misinterpret that– it’s not nearly as barren and plain as one of my least favorite productions Chicago), the real star of the show is its two lead actors and the music itself. The story takes place in Dublin, Ireland; and the characters of the show are relatively nameless. Boy (played perfectly by Steve Kazee) is a young love-jaded Irish man who has just decided to give up his musical ambitions when he meets Girl (played flawlessly by Christi Milioti, who is sure to be Tony nominated for her performance) who promises him she can help him realize his musical talents and bring his music to life. As the two set-off on their musical journey accompanied by a very talented ensemble, all of whom are musicians who also serve as the orchestra for the show, love ensues as deep secrets of each one’s past comes to the surface.
Steve Kazee’s performance as Boy is unbelievably fantastic. His voice is rich and melodic and he brings the Irish music of the score absolute authenticity and transports the audience to Ireland. He is also a phenomenal actor, who shows that behind his beautiful and powerful voice, is a true talent for bringing his character to life. The same can all be equally said for Christi Milioti, who so perfectly plays the role of Girl that I had to ask my partner if she was really Czech. Her voice is both soft and resonant and the character she plays requires a certain type of strong yet caring personality that Miloti nails to a T! And the ensemble should be also be lauded (although Anne L. Nathan, who plays Mother, needs a little more dialect work). The stars of the show also do an Irish jam session thirty minutes prior to each performance. And the audience is welcome on-stage to dance, sing, and enjoy some time with the cast. The start of the show is something to really pay attention to; make sure you’re in your seat 5 minutes before showtime to really appreciate how it’s done.
I must close by saying that one of the best surprises of Once (beyond the amazing and incredibly touching show itself) is actor Ben Hope, who is a member of the ensemble. Hope is a graduate of the BFA in Theater Performance Program at the University of Central Florida (UCF), which is of course my Alma Mater, current employer, and University I love so much. This is the first Broadway show where I have seen a UCF Alum in the cast. I’ve seen a handful of UCF Alums in various tours throughout the years, but never on Broadway. Congratulations to Mr. Hope, who is representing the Black & Gold with pride with his every performance of Once at the Jacobs Theater on Broadway in New York City!
Last week, I had the opportunity to finally see one of my all-time favorite Broadway shows LIVE in New York City. MEMPHIS, the winner of the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical, was filmed live on Broadway and streamed into movie theaters about a year ago and I had the opportunity to see the show then. I also bought the Blu-Ray of the show and have watched it countless times. But, this visit to NYC marked the first time I was able to actually see it live on stage. Needless to say, I was NOT disappointed. This show absolutely rocks in every sense of the word and depicts a truly powerful and historically-inspired story that really rips at the heart. The show centers on Felicia (played masterfully by Tony Nominee Montego Glover), a young black bar singer with an amazing voice with a talent just waiting to be discovered. And discovered it is, by young emerging white DJ Huey Calhoun (played by Adam Pascal), who is attempting to mainstream black music as “Rock ‘n Roll” on the radio.
Black culture, wonderfully displayed by an incredibly talented ensemble, is depicted as it both clashes and integrates with white culture, which is also depicted by the unbelievably talented ensemble. Felicia’s brother (played very well in this performance by stand-in Christopher Jackson) is trying to steer her to stardom while Huey is cultivating her for a career led by him in Memphis. The two fall in-love in a time when racial tensions in the South were at an all-time high; and interracial love was an absolute social taboo. Huey’s mother (played by Nancy Opel) is also unaccepting of the two’s courtship and like society at large, is experiencing a change that may be a little too rapid for comfort. MEMPHIS has an all-star cast of stellar performers, led of course by Glover, who’s dynamic voice and ability to show every nuance of her character makes her truly worthy of the praise she has received.
Pascal passes as Calhoun; but he pales in the shadow of the original actor who played the role, Chad Kimball, who unexpectedly had to leave the show in October of 2011 after suffering nerve damage. Kimball played the role flawlessly and like Glover, essentially invented the role at its inception at La Jolla. I give Pascal credit for attempting to give the role a unique and individualized interpretation; but he acts the role, whereas Kimball was a complete natural. Even with Pascal’s different portrayal of Calhoun, MEMPHIS is one of the best musicals to ever grace the Broadway stage and I am unbelievably grateful for being given the opportunity to see it. The music and moving story of love, acceptance, personal growth, and evolution of understanding and tolerance of changing social mores makes an amazing impact on the spirit. My only hope is that in the future, I get the opportunity to see Chad Kimball reprise his role as Huey Calhoun in the show. But if that day never comes (thankfully, I can watch it whenever I want on Blu-Ray), that’s okay. Because this show will always be remembered as one of my theatrical favorites.
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