Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

I had the opportunity to venture to NYC this past weekend with my partner to celebrate our 5-year anniversary. We were able to catch the revival of Les Miserables, Aladdin, Disney’s newest addition to Broadway, and the incredible current production of Cabaret at Studio 54. My reviews of Les Miz and Aladdin appear below. Click here to read my original review of Cabaret: Theater Review: Cabaret.

Les Miserables

There’s a lot to like in the new revival of Les Miserables which opened March 23rd at the iconic Imperial Theater on Broadway. There are also some minor annoyances which provide only a little not to like. Overall, however, the show is as spine-chilling and inspirational as ever. One of the most noticeable differences in this production of Les Miz is its more grand production scope than seen previously. The revival trades in the traditional rotating stage table for much more elaborate sets. While prior productions of the show relied much more on dark lighting to essentially create mood in the place of any real noteworthy set designs, that isn’t the case here. The sets are large and seem much more what would be seen in a mid-budget Broadway production. While I was originally concerned that the larger sets and lack of rotating table would distract from the minimalistic tone that made many fans love the show, I quickly found myself having the opposite emotion. The scenes are greatly enhanced and the overall quality of the production shines when given the opportunity to do so on a larger scale. The costumes seem to be a little more detailed in the revival as well; and the lighting, while maintaing the show’s overall darkened environment, seems to be appropriately brighter in certain scenes (“Master of the House,” for example).

The cast has some truly shining stars; but unfortunately, miscasting also is a concern. As Valjean, Ramin Karimloo (The Phantom in the West End Production of Love Never Dies) is great. His voice is so different and fantastic that he is able to bring a superb personal quality to the role that allows him to interpret the character uniquely on his own. It isn’t a surprise that he was nominated for the Tony Award for his performance.  Tony Nominee Keala Settle (Madame Thenadier) steals essentially every scene she is in as well; her hilarious interpretation of the oversized yet lovable con-artist brings the comedic relief the show is at times desperate for given its incredibly heavy story. Cassie Levy (the original Molly from the West End and Broadway productions of GHOST) hits the role of Fantine out of the park; her solo “I Dreamed a Dream” was heart wrenchingly convincing. And while these actors bring this production of the show to new heights, there are some distractors who unfortunately bring it down. Tony Award winner Nikki M. James (The Book of Mormon) is horrifically miscast as Eponine. Her soft and almost whiny voice becomes an obvious flaw in “On My Own;” and the alteration of her race when the older version of her character is revealed comes off as strange and unnecessary. Another poorly cast actor is Kyle Scatliffe as Enjolras. Unfortunately, he has a strong lisp that overpowers his singing ability and I found myself cringing in almost every scene in which he was featured. With the amazing and competitively cutthroat talent on Broadway, I seriously question just how he was able to be cast in the show in the first place.

But even with these two awkward casting choices, Les Miz has enough shining and soaring moments that make these sore thumb stick-out performances easily forgotten. The orchestrations are absolutely brilliant; and the sound design in the theater is so well done that there are times when Claude-Michael Schoenberg’s classic score sounds as if it’s being performed by a 100-piece orchestra. The book, based on Victor Hugo’s classic tale of forgiveness and redemption set in the backdrop of an emerging French Revolution, is unaltered in the revival. This is a wise choice since the original production of Les Miz remains one of the most beloved musicals of all time. And while this production may not live in the hearts of theatergoers quite as long, it certainly has enough to it to leave quite the positive impression.

Aladdin

With such Broadway mega-hits like The Lion King, Beauty and the Beast, and Newsies in their massively profitable portfolio, it was just a matter of time before Disney turned their iconic cartoon-movie Aladdin into their next Broadway jewel. And unfortunately, while the costumes are adorned with enough shimmering rubies to put a disco ball to shame, the show itself quickly tarnishes. The one standout of the production is Tony winner James Monroe-Igleheart (MEMPHIS), who brings the story’s energetic and hilarious genie literally to life. However, he is immersed in such a sea of mediocrity around him that he practically upstages his fellow performers. I don’t fault him for that. Besides Jonathan Freeman’s standout performance as Jafaar, none of the other actors in the show are even remotely memorable. Sure, Adam Jacobs is ridiculously nice to look at. And his voice is certainly fine. But the same cannot be said of Jasmine’s Courtney Reed, who’s flat and unimpressive vocals leave much to be desired. The sets are also nice to look at (mostly); but they are nothing special.

But for all the shortcomings the performances and sets of Aladdin provide, the true atrocity of the show lies in its book. The story, by Chad Beguelin (Elf, The Wedding Singer) provides some promise in Act I, which is fun and lighthearted. But Act II quickly decimates any spark of enjoyment from the show. Instead of using Act I as a springboard to conclude the story and emphasize its moral message, Act II relies on childish humor and ridiculous dialogue that rapidly deteriorates the storyline, making it beyond silly, trite and meaningless. Even the orchestrations by the Disney music God Alan Menken come off as bad. “A Whole New World,” one of my all-time favorite Disney musical numbers, is supported by unbelievably weak instrumentation; and the unnecessarily repetitive lyrics sung by the two leads that give the impression they’re “going through the motions” by the time the song is performed, renders it a miserable failure. Countless times, my partner and I glanced at one another, rolled our eyes, and let out a deep sigh of disappointment in the ever-so-worsening show. I’ve seen countless shows over the years on the Great White Way. So very few I would describe as being completely “disposable” junk. Unfortunately, Aladdin easily earns that unflattering label.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark producer Michael Cohl stated that he plans to tour the $75 million Broadway musical to arenas across the U.S.  Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, which ended its Broadway run Jan. 4, was previously announced for a Las Vegas sit-down engagement following its three-year New York run. Cohl states that Las Vegas is no longer the goal, and that the show will instead embark on an arena tour in late 2015 or winter 2016 in order to reach larger audiences. “I think Spider-Man is a pop culture rock show that was meant to be in arenas,” Cohl said.

Playbill‘s Adam Hetrick contributed to this BLOGBOARD post.

 Rocky: The Musical is down for the count. The stage production of the famed 1976 Sylvester Stallone film will play its final performance at the Cadillac Winter Garden Theater on August 17th. The show was nominated for several Tony Awards, including a Best Actor nom for Andy Karl (Rocky) along with nominations for Best Choreography and Set Design. It didn’t win any of them. The show’s music and lyrics are written by major Broadway talents Lynn Aherns and Stephen Flaherty (the dynamic duo behind Ragtime). But unfortunately, the increasing competitive marketplace of the Great White Way was too tough on the show, which has a high weekly overhead cost. Rocky: The Musical was hovering around the $650K/week range, insufficient for sustainability. To read my review of Rocky: The Musical, click here: Theater Review: Bridges of Madison County The Musical, ROCKY: The Musical, Machinal, and All The Way

The absolutely beautiful and moving new musical The Bridges of Madison County closed at the Gerald Schoenfield Theatre on Broadway on Sunday. The show had way too short of a life on the Great White Way and should’ve received far more Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical, than it did. Regardless of that, being in the audience for the final performance was something I will cherish forever. The audience whole heartedly embraced the performance, providing thunderous applause throughout and two long standing ovations, one after the show’s most popular and melodic number “One Second And A Million Miles” and the other for Steven Pasquale’s “It All Fades Away.” The show’s lead, the Tony Nominated Kelli O’Hara, gave a heartfelt speech after the final bows from the cast. And she promised this would not be the final performance of the show.  She was joined on the stage by composer Jason Robert Brown (also nominated for the Tony for his work on the show) and book writer Marsha Norman. To read my original review of the show, click here: Theater Review: Bridges of Madison County The Musical, ROCKY: The Musical, Machinal, and All The Way.

Below, Playbill provides an excellent story on the show’s closing:

After 137 performances the cast of the new musical The Bridges of Madison County took their final bow May 18 at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre. The production finished its run following four Tony nominations: two for composer and lyricist Jason Robert Brown (for Best Orchestrations and Best Score), one for Kelli O’Hara as Best Leading Actress in a Musical and one for Best Lighting Design for Donald Holder.

As the audience shouted praise for the performers at the closing performance, five-time Tony nominee O’Hara calmly quieted them as Brown and Marsha Norman, who penned the book, joined the cast on stage. In a quietly moving speech available online, O’Hara firmly asserted that though the new musical was closing on Broadway, it was not the end of the road for Bridges.

“On behalf of our director Bartlett Sher, we want to say something — we want to say thank you for coming to help us send this out into the world, because this is by no means going into the ground,” O’Hara explained to the rapt patrons. “For all those of you who don’t know how it is to be in theatre or what it is to make a show, we work really hard together to do the emotional part, and it’s so heavy for us; and every person in this cast, this crew, the men and the women in the front and the back, all on the stage, the house staff, everybody has done this; and I know I can speak for them all when I say it’s been a labor of love. This is something that we’ve believed in from the very beginning.”

O’Hara went on to explain the intimate journey the cast had taken with Bridges and explained her own five-year affair with the piece and her collaboration with creators Brown and Norman. As she came to the close of her brief and moving words, O’Hara confessed, “I thought today wasn’t going to go over very well, and then I realized that I could do this show because I felt the exact same way every single night of performing it as I felt tonight…which is absolute and complete gratitude; and I will never feel any other way, and I have never worked with more sincere, uncynical, beautifully talented people in my entire life and I don’t know that I will again.”

Her thanks to the audience were drowned out by the surge of applause as the patrons took to their feet. The Bridges of Madison County is a new musical that centers on a brief, four-day love affair between a National Geographic photographer and an Italian-American housewife in 1965 Iowa. Clint Eastwood and Meryl Streep starred in the 1995 film adaptation. In addition to O’Hara and her leading man Steven Pasquale (reasons to be pretty, Far From Heaven, “Rescue Me”) the original cast and crew of the Broadway production follow: Tony nominee Hunter Foster (Hands on a Hardbody, Urinetown, Little Shop of Horrors), Derek Klena (Wicked),Caitlin Kinnunen (Spring Awakening), Cass Morgan (Memphis),Michael X. Martin (Catch Me If You Can), Whitney Bashor, Jennifer Allen, Ephie Aardema, Katie Klaus, Luke Marinkovich, Aaron Ramey,Dan Sharkey, Tim Wright, Jessica Vosk, Charlie Franklin and Kevin Kern.

The creative team included Michael Yeargan (scenic design), Donald Holder (lighting design), Catherine Zuber (costume design), Jon Weston (sound design), Deborah Hecht (dialect coach) and Thomas Murray (music director). The musical was produced by Jeffrey Richards, Stacey Mindich, and Jerry Frankel. They were joined by Gutterman Chernoff, Hunter Arnold, Ken Davenport, Carl Daikeler, Scott M. Delman, Aaron Priest, Red Mountain Theatre Company, Independent Presenters Network, Libby Adler Mages/Mari Stuart, Caiola Productions, Remmel Dickinson, David Lancaster, Bellanca Smigel Rutter, Mark S. Golub & David S. Golub, Will Trice, with Warner Bros Theatre Ventures and The Shubert Organization.

Casa Valentina (The Samuel J. Friedman Theatre): When I first heard that Harvey Fierstein was in the process of bringing a new play about cross dressers to Broadway, I wasn’t incredibly surprised. I mean, let’s face it, that type of content isn’t really foreign to him. But Casa Valentina is far from the cheeky fun that is Kinky Boots. Its subject matter is serious–and although laughs are graciously provided throughout, there’s a serious message to be had here, somewhere. Set at a resort in the Catskill Mountains that caters to heterosexual transvestites in the 1960s, the show attempts to explore a subset of men with a fetish behavior who want desperately for said behavior to be accepted by society at large. However, in order to sanitize their activities, any sense of a homosexual identify (or sex, which seemed to define gay people in the 1960’s) must be erased. The performers here are truly wonderful.

The Green Goblin himself, Patrick Page, shows great variation in his portrayal of his testosterone-fueled male persona George with that of his female alter ego Valentina. The other actors in the production are equally as good. Tom McGown brings an oversized and lovable character named Bessie to life while Nick Westrate wonderfully personifies the hypocritical dichotomy of a homophobic and intolerant woman who desperately seeks societal approval despite her own differences with the mainstream. And Mare Winningham, who plays George’s wife Rita, convincingly portrays the struggle of a woman trying desperately to validate her marriage while supporting the cross dressing ways of her husband and his friends. The set is beautiful and dark–it feels intimate and brings the audience into the world of these men and women nicely.

The show begins with the real promise of a deeper look into a unique behavior in a conservative time in American history. But unfortunately, it gets somewhat lost in its politics. The characters’ desires to prove themselves as staunchly heterosexual, gay affirming, or apathetic to the topic, becomes redundant and overdone. And the attempt to link transvestite behaviors to homosexuals feels a bit forced. Regardless, the effect of the show on provoking thought among its viewers is strong. The struggles of the gay community at the time are prominently (although superficially) presented; and it is difficult to not consider the modern issue of transgendered persons being labeled as outcasts to the GLB(T) community at the show’s conclusion. And if that was the purpose of this show, it succeeds. But if you’re looking for something more psychologically educational regarding the transvestite subculture of the 1960’s or even want some type of resolution about these characters themselves, you’re more than likely going to be disappointed. Check out highlights from the show courtesy of Playbill.com below:

In 1998, Sam Mendes directed an absolutely incredible revival of the classic Kander & Ebb musical (set in a nightclub in Berlin) that ultimately tells the story of a liberal society of debauchery clashing with a dangerously changing sociopolitical climate that gives rise to Nazi rule. The show is one of my all-time favorite musicals because it masters the task of bringing out almost every human emotion that exists; and by the time the cast takes its bow, you feel physically and emotionally drained. To this day, that 1998 production (starring the late Natasha Richardson) is seared in my memory as one of the most incredible theater experiences I’ve ever had. So my expectations were high for Mendes’ second outing of the material. This revival is essentially the same show that was staged in 1998. And although it probably cost them the Tony nod for Best Revival, that’s a good thing–perfection shouldn’t be toiled with too much at the risk of much peril. And besides, that 1998 show garnered 12 Tony nominations–winning 4 (including Best Revival). And speaking of Tony Awards–Winner Alan Cumming has returned to play the role he was born for–his emcee is beyond perfect–he is spine chillingly incredible. Sally Bowles is played by two-time Academy Award nominee Michelle Williams. At first, I was somewhat concerned that she was a little too reserved for the outrageous and over-the-top star and queen of Berlin’s underground  and risqué nightlife.

But as she develops as the show progresses, I really began to appreciate the uniqueness she brought to the character. And by the time she performed the title song during Act II, I was convinced she was great. That number really brought down the house; the audience greeted the conclusion of the song with a rapturous applause. Fraulein Schneider is effectively performed by Linda Emond, who conveys the transition of staunch businesswoman to one with a firm grasp on the realities of the horrors unfolding around her, wondrously. Her love interest, Herr Schultz, is skillfully played by veteran stage actor Danny Burstein. He is able to convey the naievity of Schultz’s character heartbreakingly well–so much that I found myself deeply saddened knowing the fate that awaits him despite his ability to see it. Cumming, Williams, Emond, and Burstein are enough to carry the show on their own. But they don’t have to because they are surrounded by an ensemble cast that is as talented and able as any I’ve seen.

One of the other incredible aspects of Cabaret is that it prominently features the orchestra–they are a major piece of the production and are on-stage for a large chunk of the show. The theater itself also plays a major part in the production–the lower level is lined with cabaret tables equipped with individual lights and servers traverse the aisles prior to the show’s start. A dazzling and humongous disco ball is utilized at various parts of the show with absolute effectiveness. And the lighting that leads from the stage and encompasses the entire theater (or should I say, nightclub) is used with precision at just the right times. All of these theatrical elements–the amazing supporting actors, the entire theater serving as the set, the prominence of the orchestra, the breathtaking leads–point to one solid conclusion. The director behind this absolutely superb production is one of the most talented directors to ever work in theater. And the fact that his production is immersed in pure excellence with everything– from the performers to the musicians to the set designers to the lighting technicians to the costume designer–designates this as a truly historic production. This show has been a major success and has been extended through January. It should not be missed. Check out video highlights of Cabaret courtesy of Playbill.com below:

The touring production of a musical that I absolutely fell in love with during its short Broadway run back in 2012 is making its way to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre in Orlando this week. GHOST: The Musical opened Tuesday and plays through Sunday. The show tells the classic love story from the 1990 motion picture of the same name. Sam and Molly are soul mates who become separated after Sam is murdered; but Sam cannot move on before helping Molly solve his murder through the comedic character Oda Mae Brown, who is a psychic that until meeting Sam, isn’t very “gifted.” The show’s music is written by Dave Stewart (of the 1980’s band The Eurythmics) and mega-producer Glen Ballard (the man behind the big hits from the likes of Michael Jackson, Wilson Phillips, and Alanis Morisette) while the book and lyrics were written by the Academy Award winning writer of the film, Bruce Joel Rubin.

The production is non-equity, which set me up with very low expectations. However, I was pleasantly surprised of the high quality of this mounting of the show. Although scaled back slightly, the overall lighting, sets, and digital screens that work in concert throughout the show to serve as backdrops and scenery rivaled the Broadway production. And while the leads Steven Grant Douglas (Sam Wheat) and Kate Postotnik (Molly Jenson) aren’t even remotely comparable to the vocal qualities and abilities of the original Broadway cast (Richard Fleeshman and Cassie Levy, respectively), they get the job done superbly. Postonik gets the opportunity to show her skills most effectively in the first act power ballad “With You.” And she really hit that number out of the park. Unfortunately, she cracked the high note of Act II’s “Rain/Hold On” but rebounded nicely later with the concluding numbers. Douglas’ Sam is played well; and his singing, while not exceptional, is at times absolutely beautiful. He conveyed the dynamics of the character quite well.

But while Douglas and Postotnik are good lead actors, they are dwarfed by the amazingly talented Carla R. Stewart, who truly steals the show as Oda Mae Brown. Stewart has some truly remarkable vocal skill and is also a fantastic performer. She had the audience laughing out loud in countless scenes; and her presence was cherished in each scene featuring the character. Another showstopper is Brandon Curry, who’s Subway Ghost character raps an incredible number in Act II entitled “Focus” that ultimately provides Sam a major advantage to his mission. The villain of the show, Sam’s best friend Carl, is played by Robby Haltiwanger. His performance is adequate and seeing as the audience (which gave the cast an immediate standing ovation at the show’s conclusion) booed lightly during his curtain call, he obviously did his job. The digital imagery of the production coupled with the special effects are at time dazzling. Scenes in which Sam learns how to “float” through doors and passes through other objects are well done. And the digital screens that create everything from the New York skyline to a moving subway car are breathtaking.

Overall, this touring production of GHOST is excellent. The vast majority of our group and everyone around us in the theater really enjoyed the show. While I yearned to hear Fleeshman and Levy together once again, the experience of seeing the show I loved in New York performed and produced quite well made me very happy. This show also concluded the 2013-2014 Orlando Broadway Series and marks the final show in the God awful Bob Carr theater. Many of our group expressed belief that this show was this season’s best. It’s too bad this beautiful production couldn’t have been in the new state of the art Dr. Phillips Center that is opening later this year and will house the 2014-2015 series. Despite the Bob Carr’s terrible acoustics and poor seating, this production is definitely worth seeing. GHOST: The Musical plays through Sunday at the Bob Carr Performing Arts Centre. To purchase tickets, visit the show’s official Web Site at: http://www.ghostontour.com.

 Composer Jason Robert Brown has won the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Original Score for his work in writing the lush and absolutely gorgeous score for the musical The Bridges of Madison County. The awards were announced May 12th. Brown bested other composers within the category, including the composers of the musicals Aladdin, Fun Home, A Gentlemen’s Guide to Love and Murder, and If/Then. Unfortunately, Bridges‘ lead star Kelli O’Hara lost the award for Outstanding Actress in a Musical to Audra McDonald in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. The Bridges of Madison County closes this Sunday at the Gerald Schoenfeld Theatre on Broadway; but a national tour of the show is set to embark in 2015. Congratulations to Jason Robert Brown! Preview the beautiful music from the show below: