Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

#5: Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
Shuffle Along, or the Making of the Musical Sensation of 1921 and All That Followed
tells the true story of Shuffle Along, the musical sensation of 1921 that was the first to feature an all-Black cast on Broadway. The show is chuck full of talent, punctuated by Tony winners and Broadway legends Audra MacDonald and Brian Stokes Mitchell, who have paired in many shows before, including Ragtime, one of the best shows to ever grace the stage. They are joined by Billy Porter, who shows a little too much Lola, his Kinky Boots drag queen persona that won him the 2014 Tony Award, here. His performance is so effeminate, he even has to jokingly explain to the audience at the show’s end that his character was actually married to a woman. While it got a chuckle from the audience, it resulted in me cringing a little in embarrassment for his lack of ability to downplay his flamboyance to bring this character to life.

And while McDonald and Stokes Mitchell are truly the masterful talent behind the show, the true beauty of Shuffle Along actually lies in its ensemble. Almost every scene of the show is stolen by the phenomenal dancers that tell the story of the musical’s incarnation in scenes from the story and the actual musical they were creating. Where the show struggles is in its book, written by George C. Wolfe. Always trying to maintain its cuteness, the show remains superficial, trading in the gritty details of how a show starring an all-Black cast during the 1920’s was brought to life, captured an audience, and changed history, with writing that keep the details slim and the dancing and song strong. The dialogue spoken at the end of the production detailing the fate of the characters does the history of the actual show more justice than what’s presented the prior 2 hours. That’s a serious problem for a show that deep down is telling the story of truly life events with real depth and significance. Still, it’s worthy of praise for its stars McDonald, Stokes Mitchell, Brandon Victor Dixon, Joshua Henry, and incredibly skilled ensemble.

#4: School of Rock

Andrew Lloyd Webber, an adored (and sometimes criticized) composer of some of the most iconic musicals of Broadway (and beyond) shows in School of Rock that his musical genius extends beyond the classic chords of Phantom and EVITA into the realm of Rock ‘n Roll. And I mean real Rock ‘n Roll! A lot of the music in the show (with lyrics by Webber’s longtime collaborator, Glenn Slater) is metal-laden, straying away from some of the more poppy music Webber is typically associated with. The show relies on its two star leads, Tony-nominated Alex Brightman (Dewey Finn) and Sierra Boggess (Love Never Dies), to bring to life the heartwarming story of a teacher with a love for music who realizes the impact he can make extends way beyond the notes on the page, even to privileged children, who might otherwise be unexposed to the realities of the world.

As someone who credits a music teacher as playing a major role in my personal development, the story of the show reverberates within my spirit. The stage show is written by Jullian Fellows and it follows the source material of the movie, written by Mike White, closely. And Brightman’s portrayal of Dewey, while funny, enjoyable, and loveable, is a mirror image of Jack Black’s performance in the film. These elements give the show a slight feel of lack of originality. And most of Webber’s music is unfortunately, forgettable. But the show is still fun and incredibly sweet and touching. It does a great job of showing audiences that music can play an incredibly formative power in the lives of children, making it one of the best and important shows of the season.

#3: Waitress

Like School of Rock, Waitress is also based on a film that shares the same name as its Broadway counterpart. I’ve never seen that film, so I cannot comment on how closely the Broadway production follows it. But I can certainly tell you that I absolutely loved every minute of the show. Tony winner Jessie Mueller (Beautiful) plays Jenna, a waitress and pie chef extraordinaire who lives in a small rural town where everyone is in everyone else’s business and where dreams are easily made, but almost always, impossible to realize. She’s in a dead-end and abusive relationship when she becomes pregnant and simultaneously falls for her irresistible obstetrician, played by the handsome lead Drew Gehling. The two carry on an unlikely affair, and in the process, teach each other about life and just how difficult the ultimate pursuit of happiness, truly is. This is all happening while the supporting characters are defining their lives as well.

With an ensemble dripping with talent (including Tony nominee Keala Settle, playing Jenna’s best friend and colleague, Becky), Waitress is truly heartwarming and inspiring. The music, written by Grammy award winning superstar Sara Bareilles, is fun, poppy, and good! It’s made me excited for an OBC recording of the show! And the writing, by Jessie Nelson, is crisp, witty, and consistently excellent. The set design is great and accents the settings of the show perfectly. While I wouldn’t say Waitress is groundbreaking theater, it has enough ingenuity and heart that it could be a show loved by audiences for years to come. The question is, once Mueller moves on, will it have enough sustainability to realize its potential?

#2: HAMILTON

When it comes to theater history, there are only a handful of shows that have truly been groundbreaking works, ones that have made serious and unimaginable impacts and contributions to the craft. Shows with this distinction include Hair, one of the first-ever to bring a contemporary storyline of current political and social strife to the stage. Elaborate productions like Phantom of the Opera, TITANIC, and Wicked broke ground by dazzling audiences with spectacular special effects and unforgettable music. Les Miz remains timeless because of its unmatched orchestrations and humanistic story of forgiveness and redemption; and the modern Book of Mormon has shown that even shows that promote blasphemy with vulgarity and explicit language can make mad bank at the box office!

Now comes a show that will forever be included in the history books chronicling such shows that defined the theater, HAMILTON. Garnering an unprecedented 16 Tony nominations, including noms for practically every actor with a main role, HAMILTON tells one of the most important pieces of American history, using rap and hip-hop articulated from the mouths of an ethnically-diverse cast that looks nothing like the characters they are portraying. And yet this approach to the production is not only what makes it unique, but history changing, as well. Lin Manuel Miranda has created a show that is nothing short of a masterpiece. His performance is incredible as is those of his castmates, Christopher Jackson, Renee Elise Goldsbury, Daveed Digs, and Leslie Odom. The entire cast brings an insurmountable energy to a fresh and captivating production that layers one impressive scene after another.

HAMILTON breaks down the ethnic archetypes of traditional theater. And it shows that a culturally-diverse cast is more than capable of bringing non-culturally diverse characters and events, to life. HAMILTON is simply like nothing that has ever been staged before it. It will win essentially every Tony Award it is nominated for, and rightly so. Many might be reading this and thinking, “Geeze. If it’s worthy of so much praise and awards, is historic and groundbreaking theater in every way, why do you rank HAMILTON as #2 on the list rather than #1?” Keep reading and you’ll find out why.

#1: Bright Star

Okay, you can manually close your jaws and wipe up the saliva now. You read right. I ranked Steve Martin (yes, that Steve Martin) and Edie Brickell’s Bright Star higher than HAMILTON. No. It isn’t as good as HAMILTON. It isn’t historic and groundbreaking. It won’t be remembered in the history books as being a major contributor to musical theater. In fact, although I hope I’m wrong, the show will more than likely not win a single Tony Award and will be forced to shutter a week or two after the ceremony. But it has an absolutely gorgeous and lush score with orchestrations as beautiful as Jason Robert Brown’s Bridges of Madison County, a terrifically written book, incredible staging and choreography, and a story that will absolutely grab ahold of your heart and never let go.

The show was prized with the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical and Best Score; and it garnered nominations in 5 other categories as well. Centered in two close time periods in the early-to-mid 1900’s, the show follows the story of parallel characters who are falling in love in the Deep South during a time when religion, proscribed morality, and family reputation trumped all else, including even life. The orchestra, who plays a prominent role in the staging of the show, is made of mostly strings and percussion. They bring a soaring score to life that is only made stronger by the incredible voices of the leads, Tony nominated Carmen Cusack (one of the finest actors and singers I’ve ever seen on stage) and Paul Alexander Nolan. The characters of Bright Star are totally loveable and relatable. And their story and struggles are real, heartbreaking, and at times, tragic. This coupled with the show’s incredible music brings their human experiences to life and truly solidifies the show as phenomenal!

Before I begin this review, let me preface it by revealing just how much I LOVED the original Broadway production of The Bridges of Madison County, the lush, lavish, and gorgeous musical that starred Steven Pasquale and Kelli O’Hara that heartbreakingly failed to gather enough traction to become the mega-hit it should’ve become. Musical genius Jason Robert Brown won the Tony Award for his score for Bridges; and both of its lead stars were Tony nominated for their performances (O’Hara would later go on to win for The King & I). When I heard the show was closing in NY back in May of 2014, I booked a flight to the final performance and sat in the theater in complete disbelief that this amazingly crafted and truly touching show was closing after such a short run. Of course, material that good can’t stay on the shelf forever; and a national tour was launched in the end of 2015.

In a nutshell, this tour has A LOT to live up to in-terms of its original Broadway predecessor; and I don’t envy the tall order the touring leads, Elizabeth Stanley (Francesca Johnson) and Andrew Samonsky (Robert Kincaid), must follow. And while no, their performances don’t eclipse the originals, they come awfully darn close. In fact, this entire production of Bridges comes awfully close! Creative decisions were wisely placed in the hands of almost all of the original members of the Broadway creative team. Bartlett Sher’s fantastic direction is mimicked perfectly by Tyne Rafaeli. Thus, what translates to the tour is essentially a carbon copy of what graced the stage of the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The set pieces, background scenery, and props are duplicated, as is the stage movement of the cast throughout the show.

Bridges isn’t Wicked; there aren’t elaborate set pieces and special effects to distract the audience from the core of the story. Instead, the production must rely an that absolutely gorgeous score and orchestrations and performances from the actors to succeed. Luckily, this production does so on every level. The leads knock it out of the park! And the supportive cast is so strong that the story (authored by novelist Robert James Waller) shines so brightly that the true beauty of this show comes through. Elizabeth Stanley’s unique portrayal of Francesca is punctuated by her remarkable vocals; and while Andrew Samonsky’s vocals aren’t quite as rich or deep as Pasquale’s, he more than nails the part and brings the true love his character has for Francesca to life.

The supporting leads, played by David Hess and Mary Callanan (the married neighbors who share a close bond with the Johnson family) and Cullen R. Titmas (Bud, Francesca’s lovable husband) are incredibly strong. “Get Closer” is Callanan’s solo in the first act and allows her talent to be put on display front and center (as does the equally incredible Katie Claus’ first act solo “Another Life”). The second act’s “When I’m Gone,” serving as a transition of time in the story, sung by Titmas and Hess, sent chills down my spine. The accent Hess puts on his execution of several of the lyrics conveys the emotion and strength of the number, and the power it has in helping to conclude the story.  “Before and After You/ One Second and a Million Miles” remains the showstopper number. Stanley and Samonsky perform the number beautifully with a perfect show of dynamics and tone control. The song is so incredibly moving. Its orchestrations feel almost immersive; the audience feels the same love and turmoil in their hearts as the characters on stage, thanks to the deeply lush combination of piano and strings Brown combined to chilling effect.

In conclusion, there are really not enough positive adjectives to describe this touring production of Bridges. The acting, singing, and entire production closely rivals the quality of the original Broadway production. The show had such a short life in NY, odds are you probably missed it. If you miss the show now, you’ve only got yourself to blame. The show is touring across the US. It’s worth taking the time needed to dedicate yourself to seeing this show. If the show isn’t making a stop in your town, then pop on its Web site and plan to a trip out of it! You’ll be very grateful you did! Tour dates and tickets are available here: http://bridgesmusical.com/tickets/. Below, take a look at footage from the recording of the Bridges soundtrack, featuring the original Broadway leads Kelly O’Hara and Steven Pasquale:

If the video released today to promote the upcoming Andrew Lloyd Webber Broadway musical School of Rock is any indication, this show, based on the beloved 2003 movie of the same name, is going to be a TON of fun! The video features the show number, “You’re in the Band” and is filmed in what is billed by Playbill as an “immersive” 360-degree format. As Playbill’s Andrew Gans points out: “Shot in a real NYC classroom, the video was designed by Lloyd Webber and School of Rock book writer Julian Fellowes to take full advantage of new 360° technology. The video will accompany a new single of “You’re in the Band,” produced by Lloyd Webber and music producer Rob Cavallo, to be released by Warner Bros. Records.” Take a look at the video below. School of Rock officially opens December 6th at the Winter Garden Theatre. Previews begin November 9th.

Jason Robert Brown, the two-time Tony-Award winning composer of such amazingly beautiful scores as The Bridges of Madison County and Parade has been brought on-board to overhaul the score of the Broadway-bound KING KONG: The Musical. Kong originally premiered in June of 2013 at the Regent Theatre in Melbourne, Australia, the same theater where Andrew Lloyd Webber’s re-worked Phantom of the Opera sequel, Love Never Dies, enjoyed a healthy run back in 2011. The Australian production of KING KONG  was scored by composer and arranger Marius de Vries, whose credits include the soundtracks for Moulin Rouge and Romeo + Juliet. He created a score that featured revamped versions of 1930s Broadway classics like “Get Happy,” “I Wanna Be Loved By You” and “Brother Can You Spare a Dime” as well as new and existing songs from a mix of contemporary artists: Robert Del Naja from Massive Attack, Sarah McLachlan, Justice, Guy Garvey from Elbow and The Avalanches. Brown will partner with de Vries in revamping the score for NY. In addition to Brown, Bridges director Marsha Normon has been tapped to write the book and lyrics. No timeline for the show has been set. Watch highlights from the Australia production below:

An absolutely gorgeous and accomplished production of the Disney pop-rock musical AIDA is taking the stage at the Walt Disney Theater at the Doctor Phillips Center for the Performing Arts. Encore! Productions, the team behind this mounting of the show, has really hit one out of the park! Now, to be honest, I might be a little biased here because I truly believe that AIDA is Disney’s ultimate stage show. With screen-to-stage adaptations of movies like The Lion King, The Little Mermaid, Newsies, and Aladdin, Disney Theatricals is a major force in modern musical theater. AIDA, which is set to an amazing score by Elton John and Tim Rice, is not based on a Disney movie. It is also much more adult-themed than Disney’s other theatrical outings. That could be a reason why the show, which although enjoyed a long and healthy Broadway run, has been usurped by most of Disney’s other musicals.

The backdrop of AIDA‘s story centers on the war raging between Egypt and the small African nation of Nubia. Using Nubia’s captured people as slaves, Egypt is slowly building an empire under the command of powerful military leader Radames, who is betrothed to Princess Amneris. On his latest mission, Radames captured one female prisoner who is definitely unlike the rest. Unbeknownst to him, this prisoner is Nubia’s Princess, Aida. Aida serves as a mirror to help Radames reflect on his future; and in the course of their growing relationship, they fall in love under increasingly tumultuous circumstances.

This production of the show is billed as AIDA: In Concert. And while the traditional aspects of a concert production of a musical remain in place (there is a large and full orchestra providing the music and a full choir to lend powerful backing vocals throughout the show), there is so much more here. The cast is fully costumed, there are minor yet impressive sets and well-thought aspects of staging, and the entire show is acted out rather than script-read. The overall effect is truly phenomenal.  The orchestrations are rich and lush, the backing choir is perfectly utilized, and all of the performers deliver truly knock-out performances. The main leads– Hannah Berry Matthews (Amneris), Natale Pirrotta (Radames), and UCF Alum Jerusha Cavazos (Aida) would all fit as perfect leads to any musical on Broadway.

And the more minor roles– played by Daniel Rye (Mereb) and Andrew Meidenbaurer (Zoser) are equally as impressive. This production of AIDA is truly spectacular! It could be translated from the stage at Doctor Phillips to NYC’s famed Lincoln Center and actually eclipse the quality of their recent concert version productions of TITANIC, Ragtime, and Parade! The quality is just that good and comes at the tail-end of Orlando’s Broadway season. Interestingly, the quality of AIDA surpasses all of the shows that made its way to Orlando as part of this year’s series. It’s surprising the show will only stay in Orlando for just two days. Perhaps even more shocking, tickets for tomorrow’s performance remain available and can be purchased here: http://www.drphillipscenter.org/shows-and-events/Shows-Events/Theater/20791-encore-cast-performing-arts-aida.stml. GO SEE AIDA! You’ll be grateful you did!

The intimate and scaled-down chamber version of the Tony-Award winning musical TITANIC, ends its run at the Princess of Wales Theater in Toronto, Canada on Sunday. The show was well-received by critics and will embark on a national US tour in 2016. My review of the phenomenal production can be found here: Theater Review: TITANIC: The Musical, Toronto. Playbill’s  Adam Hetrick reports on the closing of TITANIC:

U.K. director Thom Southerland directs the revival that is inspired by an acclaimed chamber production of Titanic that played London’s Southwark Playhouse in 2013. Toronto previews began May 19.

The revival had at one point been announced for Broadway following its Toronto bow, but the production was postponed. A future Broadway life for the production has not been announced; however, a national tour will commence during the 2015-16 season. A Los Angeles touring engagement was revealed for 2016.

The musical that tells the story of the passengers of the doomed luxury liner has a Tony-winning score by Yeston (Grand Hotel, Nine) and a Tony-winning book by the late Stone (The Will Rogers Follies, 1776). It opened on Broadway April 23, 1997.

Opera tenor Ben Heppner starred as Isidor Straus, the co-owner of Macy’s department store. His character performs the dramatic Act Two duet “Still.” Heppner also inhabits three other roles in the chamber production.

The cast also included Phillip Arran, Matt Beveridge, Greg Castiglioni, Scarlett Courtney, Matthew Crowe, Gary Davis, Jonathan David Dudley, Grace Eccle, Scott Garnham, Celia Graham, Simon Green, Chris Holland, James Hume, Alex Lodge, Claire Marlowe, Shane McDaid, Nadim Naaman, Beth Peach-Robinson, Philip Rham, Victoria Serra, Rachel Spurrell, Judith Street, Samuel J. Weir and Jack Wilcox.

Titanic won 1997 Tony Awards for Best Book of a Musical (Stone), Best Musical, Best Orchestrations (Jonathan Tunick), Best Score (Yeston) and Best Scenic Design (Stewart Laing).

Below, watch some video highlights from the show, courtesy of playbill.com:

Sometimes, perhaps rarer than usual, theater grabs a hold of you and makes a truly indelible impression. For me, that occurrence came with the original 1997 Broadway production of TITANIC. It was the first show I had ever seen on the Great White Way; and it has forever lived in my heart as one of my absolute most favorite life experiences.  The show, which many believed was doomed from the start (after all, who would want to watch a musical about the famed ocean liner that’s fate is well, pretty well darned known?), became a surprise hit. Winning 5 Tony Awards, TITANIC proved it was the Unsinkable Molly Brown, taking home statues for Best Orchestrations, Best Score, Best Scenic Design, Best Book, and the coveted prize for Best Musical. The show ran for almost two years at the Lunt Fontanne Theater. And it was a juggernaut for actors who would go on to become major Broadway players. Victoria Clark, Michael Cerveris, and Brian D’Arcy James all had main roles.

But as the popularity of TITANIC the film started to wind down, the musical shuttered on March 21, 1999. However, the show has been considered by many to be a major contribution to the repertoire of American musical theater; and numerous reincarnations of the show have lived on–including a national tour, productions across the globe, and most recently at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada. The Toronto production, which opened May 19th, is based on an acclaimed chamber version of the show which ran in London’s Off-West End Southwark Playhouse in 2013. That show was so well received, there were plans to run it in Toronto in 2014 and bring it back to Broadway in 2015. Unfortunately, producers were unable to find a house for the show; and plans were placed on pause.

To say that TITANIC lives alive and well in its new Canadian production fails to give it justice. This production, which stars many of the same actors who played in London’s chamber version of the show back in 2013, succeeds on every level. The ensemble is so absolutely incredible, it’s difficult to put into words just how truly remarkable they are. Not one actor, not even the famous opera tenor Ben Heppner (Isidor Strauss), who headlines the show, outshines another. To say that the show succeeds based on the talent of its cast is an understatement. It has been quite some time since I’ve seen a show that had such a strong ensemble that it makes it difficult to laud individual performers. But this production of TITANIC is that show!

Not only are the actors truly wonderful, but the sets and costume design are both superior. David Woodhead had a lot to live up to in the original Tony-Award winning design of Stewart Laing, who won the Tony for a set that did the unthinkable–SANK! But he succeeds. No–the set doesn’t sink during the second act (although it does do something similar in the exciting finale); but the set, mainly consisting of multi-level exterior and interior settings of the ship, brings an intimacy of the show that has never been seen before. The cast seems to almost hover into the audience, creating the sense of an experience rather than just a straight-forward piece of theater. Just as commendable as the actors and sets, Maury Yeston’s score soars!

When I first read the program, I was shocked and saddened to see that the orchestra only consisted of 6 musicians. But once the show began, the richness of that amazing score shattered the walls of the Princess of Wales Theatre! Ian Weinberger (orchestrations), Mark Aspinall (musical direction), and Gareth Owen (sound design) demonstrate that although a large and grand orchestra is traditionally considered optimal, a smaller set of musicians playing a well-crafted version of the score can make just as strong an impact. And while I missed the presence of woodwinds and brass, the arrangement of heavy strings covering the major solos contributed heavily to the more nautical feel of the show.

There are also some very smart, subtle, and intelligent changes to the book that bolster the quality and flow of the musical considerably. Some lines, delivered by different characters in this production compared to the original, make more sense. The final scene of the original show, which I truly believe was the best final scene ever written for the theater, is actually outdone here! It has been augmented to include a homage to those who died on the ship; but the breathtaking reunion of the living and the dead remains intact. But thanks to the changes made, the impact is even greater in this revival.

This production of TITANIC truly deserves a life on Broadway. I am really hoping that somehow, that happens! The quality of what is on-stage in Toronto right now is second to nothing currently running in NYC. And while Broadway is ever-increasingly cutthroat and ever so reliant on the rehashing of cartoon movies and movie musicals, TITANIC could be a real welcomed breath of fresh air. Transferring this show to Broadway is something that needs to happen. Just as Rex Reed rightfully identified the original production as a “genuine addition to the American Musical Theater,” this revival will take its place among the recent revivals like Cabaret and the short-lived Side Show that just may outdo their predecessors. TITANIC plays at the Princess of Wales Theatre through June 21st. For tickets, visit the show’s official Web site @: http://www.mirvish.com/shows/titanicthemusical.