Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

King Kong: The Musical, which is being touted as one of the most technically sophisticated productions to ever grace the stage, is quickly moving forward in Australia. The show’s producers recently announced that principal casting for the lavish production had been completed and producers posted an enticing video of a press conference complete with a sampling of songs from the show on its Web site (http://kingkongliveonstage.com). According to Playbill:

The new musical features a book by Craig Lucas. Composer and arranger Marius de Vries, whose credits include the soundtracks for “Moulin Rouge” and “Romeo + Juliet,” will create and oversee a a score that will feature 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. A key collaborator on the musical landscape for the show is Stephen Pavlovic from Modular People; Michael Mitnick has contributed lyrics to several new compositions.

Director Kramer said in a statement, “It’s tempting to focus on the spectacle of King Kong himself. But it is only through the humanity of the life around him – the people of New York City, the comic megalomania of filmmaker Carl Denham, the stubborn opposition of first mate Jack Driscoll, and the grace, beauty and power of our leading lady, Ann Darrow – that he truly takes life. After three years of auditions and workshops, it is an honour to introduce the world premiere cast of King Kong.”

The musical, according to press notes, “has gone back to the source – the novella of the original film by Merian C. Cooper and Edgar Wallace – in this world-first adaptation as a large-scale musical. Featuring a cast of 49 actors, singers, dancers, circus performers and puppeteers; a crew of 76; and arguably the most technologically advanced puppet in the world – a one-tonne, six-metre giant silverback – King Kong will be an epic and dazzlingly original theatrical experience.”

The character of King Kong, according to producers, will be “an imposing, stylised silverback of exaggerated proportions…a highly sophisticated animatronic/marionette hybrid that will be controlled by the integration of hydraulics, automation and the manual manipulation from a team of puppeteer/aerialists (The King’s Men) on stage, and off.”

King Kong: The Musical arrives at the Regent Theater in Melbourne on June 13, 2013. Excerpts courtesy Playbill.com.

 Olympic Gold Medalist Danell Leyva visited the incredibly AWESOME Broadway musical Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark last week. Playbill has a slideshow presentation of his post-show backstage rendezvous with Reeve Carney (Peter Parker/Spider-Man) and the 9 stuntmen who play the superhero at various parts of the production that can be accessed here: http://playbill.com/multimedia/gallery/4295/Olympic-Gymnast-Danell-Leyva-Visits-Broadways-Spider-Man-Turn-Off-the-Dark. Below is one of those photos:

Playbill is reporting that the Broadway musical Once, which garnered 8 Tony Awards including the coveted award for Best Musical, has recouped its initial investment. With the recently announced closure of such expensive shows as Ghost The Musical and the revival of Jesus Christ Superstar, Broadway productions can be quite an expensive fare. Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark holds the record for most expensive show ever produced with a pricetag of $75 million! But if a show isn’t able to maintain its weekly operating cost and bring in enough profit to repay investors, it shudders. Once can be considered quite the cheap show to bring to the Great White Way. Its reported initial investment was $5.5 million. And in just 21 weeks (169 performances), Once has completely recouped its investment. That’s a record-breaking short number of days to recoup an investment for a Broadway show. In fact, no other show in recent history has done such a feat. Take a look at some highlights from Once courtesy of Playbill below:

The Broadway run of Ghost The Musical is coming to an end. Producers announced last week that the show will play its final performance at the Lunt Fontanne Theater on August 18th. Ghost tells the story of a murdered stockbroker (Sam Wheat) whose spirit remains on earth to help his loving soulmate (Molly Jensen) piece together his death through a comedic storefront psychic named Oda Mae Brown. The theatrical presentation of the story relies heavily on technologically-advanced special effects, including moving sidewalks that simulate walking between scenes and sets and a series of digitally projected screens that serve as backdrops to create various sets–from Sam and Molly’s apartment to a moving subway car.

The show originated in London and the principle members of the cast (Richard Fleeshman as Sam and Caissie Levy as Molly) transferred to NY to reprise their roles for the Broadway bow of the production, which underwent minor changes from its original London staging, including the addition of a couple new songs. Tony-nominee Da’Vine Joy Randolph plays the role of Oda Mae Brown. The music of Ghost was composed by Dave Stewart (of the 1980’s pop-rock band The Eurythmics) and Glen Ballard (the major music producer behind such acts as Alanis Morisette, Wilson Phillips, and Michael Jackson). I had the opportunity to see the show back in June and I was very impressed with the way in which the show was able to pull emotionally at my heart and make me seriously assess the way in which the love I have for my partner may live for all eternity.

While I wouldn’t necessarily say that Ghost is groundbreaking theater. I would say that it mostly succeeds in its own right. The special effects are dazzling and the sets are at times breath-taking. And it’s tough to take your eyes off of the handsome and talented lead Richard Fleeshman, who brings a sweet and familiar personality to the role of Sam.  Randolph was spectacular as the over-the-top psychic and Caissie Levy, while at times had a somewhat overbearing voice (I blame the sound technician, not the actor) played Molly quite well. Unfortunately, the show had a shaky opening and experienced a 45-minute technical delay that resulted in a harrowing review by the New York Times. The day we saw the show, we did experience a 20-minute delay ourselves in the middle of the first act. But, in the end, Ghost won me over. I cried like a baby throughout much of the second act; and in my opinion, if a piece of musical theater can evoke that type of strong personal and emotional reaction, it is worthy of praise.

Unfortunately, in an ever-so-competitive Broadway market, Ghost never did find a sold audience. The show averaged around $550,000/week, (well below its weekly operating expenses) and had an average house attendance at only about 60% capacity. By the beginning of July, I was beginning to wonder just how much longer the producers could afford the financial hemorrhage of the production. Hoping it would endure, I purchased tickets for my partner and I to see the show on Sept. 2nd. And I was so saddened when I received notification from TicketMaster that the show was canceled and that my tickets had been refunded. There is a tour planned for Ghost beginning in 2014; and I am hoping that somehow the magic that was captured on stage and that stole my heart (and a million tears) on Broadway makes a successful transition as a traveling show. Ghost The Musical closes August 18th. Discounted tickets are available by clicking on the TicketMaster link on the show’s official Web Site (http://ghostonbroadway.com). Below, check-out some awesome highlights from the show courtesy of Playbill:

I had the privilege of being able to see one of my all-time FAVORITE musicals, TITANIC, amazingly staged at Ithaca’s Hangar Theater this weekend. The original production debuted in 1997. It was one of the most expensive shows ever produced; and its special effects were breathtaking. The stage sunk, flares were shot-off in the theater, and the set was multi-tiered which gave the show incredible complexity. This staging, of course, was devoid of the special effects that made the original Broadway production so memorable. Instead, the show is scaled down in both cast and orchestra and must rely on its soaring and lush score to give it legs. To say that this production is a success is an understatement.

The intimacy of the Hangar Theater makes this TITANIC sail! The set is basically a scaffolding with a curtain behind it. Various images are projected on the curtain and on two large black screens to the left and right of center-stage throughout the show. The orchestra is behind the stage and the cast of 20 (many of whom were members of the original Broadway cast) perform each role with absolute perfection. Alma Cuervo (Ida Strauss) has been with the production since its inception on Broadway and stands out here as one of the most memorable. In addition, Joneal Joplin (Cpt. Smith), Tony-Award winner Drew McVety (Henry Etches),  Tom Hewitt (Thomas Andrews), and Jeremy Ellison-Gladstone (Harold Bride) give stunning performances in their respective roles.

The orchestrations are scaled down for this production. But, it doesn’t show. This is perhaps due to the original Broadway musical director Kevin Stites’ reprisal of his duties for this production. And although the story of the TITANIC is well known; the performances here are fresh, intimate, and perfected to a T. We were treated on Saturday to a talk-back session with the cast, creative crew, and perhaps most significantly, the show’s composer Maury Yeston. He and the rest of the cast answered questions from the audience, gave a recollection of this production and its Broadway incarnation, and discussed the humanistic perspective that makes this show one of the best to ever grace the stages of the Great White Way.

In closing, it’s important to also note the director of  this staging of TITANIC–Don Stephenson. Not only has he given us a gem of a staging of the show at the Hangar, he was also a member of the original Broadway cast of TITANIC. He played the role of Edgar Beane and I was curious to see how he would treat the character in this staging. Phillip Hoffman plays the role here and he does so exquisitely.  Stephenson directed him and the rest of the cast quite well. Hoffman is complemented by none other than Christine Tisdale, who plays his wife Alice, who learns to regret not appreciating what his second class husbandry could provide as the fate of her husband becomes clearer. Both come from TITANIC’s national tour. And like this entire production, they have mastered the perfection and quality that makes this TITANIC staging stand-out as absolutely phenomenal! TITANIC plays at Ithaca’s Hangar Theater through July 28th.

Some horribly sad news was announced today as the producers of the amazing Broadway musical MEMPHIS confirmed the show will be closing on August 5th. The musical won the 2010 Tony Award for Best Musical and has been seen by hundreds of thousands of people, owing partly to the theatrical release of a filmed version of the show that also was released on DVD in February. MEMPHIS tells the true 1940’s story of a white radio DJ who was largely responsible for mainstreaming what was traditionally seen as black music and what morphed into rock ‘n roll through radio. In the process, he also fell in-love with an African American woman and pushed the boundaries of society’s traditional more of interracial relationships. The role of DJ Huey Calhoun was originated by Tony Nominee Chad Kimball (who was replaced in October of 2011 by Adam Pascal due to nerve injury) and the role of Felicia Ferrall was originated by Tony Nominee Montego Glover. The show originated at the La Jolla Playhouse in San Diego in 2008 before transferring to Broadway. Scroll below to read my review of MEMPHIS. It’s sad this show didn’t have a longer life…

Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has been nominated for 2 Tony Awards. The award nominations were announced yesterday by Jim Parsons and Kristen Chenoweth. And while Once (see review below) received an impressive 11 Tony nominations, being crowned as receiving the most, Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark has received nominations for Best Costume Design (Eiko Ishioka) and Best Scenic Design (George Tsypin). In addition, earlier in the week the Drama Desk Award nominees were announced. Patrick Page, who plays scientist and madman Norman Osborne turned The Green Goblin, was nominated for Best Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical. The Tony Awards will be broadcast on CBS on June 10th while the Drama Desk Awards will be given out at Town Hall on June 3rd. For a complete list of Tony Nominees, head on over to Playbill at: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/165460-2012-Tony-Awards-Nominations-Announced-Once-Earns-11-Nominations. The Drama Desk Award Nominations can be found at: http://www.dramadeskawards.com/2012-nominees.html. Good luck to Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark!!!

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.