Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

With the 71st 2017 Tony Awards just a few short days away, now would be a good time to rank the nominees for Best Musical from worst to first. I use that saying lightly because, really, all four of the nominees are great. But, there can ultimately be only one winner!  So, here we go:

#4: Groundhog Day

A new stage musical based on the hit 1993 film featuring music and lyrics by Tim Minchin and a book by the film’s original screenwriter, Danny Rubin. Groundhog Day was a pretty bad movie. It wasn’t particularly all that funny; and about halfway through, the serial monotony of the story becomes stale quick. But, the creative team for the stage show have done something very unique–they’ve turned a bad movie into a fun, lighthearted, and side-splittingly funny Broadway musical. The show stars Broadway star and prior Tony nominee Andy Karl (I say prior nominee because he is a nominee for his role here for Best Actor in a Musical) in a role he seems made for. The music, by Matilda composer Tim Minchin, is pop-centric and catchy. And the show, while touching on some themes that are serious in nature, never takes itself too seriously. The real highlight of the production is the incredible sets and staging, which use a great combination of special effects, miniature and distant-perspective props, and what I can only assume is some pretty talented use of body doubling. Groundhog Day is nominated for 7 Tony Awards including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Andy Karl), Best Book of a Musical (Danny Rubin), Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Music & Lyrics: Tim Minchin), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Rob Howell), Best Direction of a Musical (Matthew Warchus), and Best Choreography (Peter Darling and Ellen Kane).

#3 Dear Evan Hansen

 All his life, Evan Hansen has felt invisible. But when a tragedy thrusts him into the center of a rapidly evolving controversy, he is given the opportunity of a lifetime: the chance to be somebody else. Dear Evan Hansen has an incredibly powerful lead performer in its main man Ben Platt, who is definitely the front-runner for the Tony Award for Best Actor in a Musical. Luckily for the show, the rest of the performers are also incredibly strong. The production team, including RENT director Michael Greif, uses a minimal staging technique that relies mostly on projections and small, compact sets to set the tone of the story. Greif copies his approach of putting the orchestra above the action as he did in his last Broadway outing If/Then. And the music to the show, although somewhat repetitive and with oftentimes simplistic lyrics, is very good. The main issue I had with Dear Evan Hansen was its somewhat thin plot. While the book gives us a true-to-life story that focuses on the major issues of suicide and an ever-increasing egocentric and self-centered society, the show never presents the complexities that come with the reality of these issues. The scenes tend to become repetitive and advance the plot only in minuscule bites; and the impact the show could’ve made with a sharper and deeper book, gets lost. But don’t let my criticisms fool you, Dear Evan Hansen is a mega-hit and is by far the front-runner for this year’s Tony Awards. The production is nominated for 9 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Ben Platt), Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Mike Faist), Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Rachel Bay Jones), Best Book of a Musical (Steven Levenson), Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Music & Lyrics: Benj Pasek & Justin Paul), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Japhy Weideman), Best Direction of a Musical (Michael Greif), and Best Orchestrations  (Alex Lacamoire).

#2 Come From Away

 On September 11, 2001 the world stopped. On September 12, their stories moved us all. A new musical based on a true story. Come From Away is named after the terms used to describe out-of-towners in Gander, Newfoundland, the setting of where the true story takes place. The show uses even more minimalistic staging than Dear Evan Hansen; but its soaring score and moving plot pull at the heartstrings and provide an inspirational hope from a horrific tragedy. MEMPHIS director Christopher Ashley is surrounded by an amazing production team, highlighted by choreographer Kelly Devine (Tony nominated for her work here), who provides a beautiful order to a somewhat frenetic staging. The music, which is incredibly unique for a Broadway show, has a Nordic and folksy theme that incredibly emphasizes the setting and its beloved traditions. A knockout performance by Jen Colella (Tony nominated here and winner of the Drama Desk Award last week) unites the book’s overarching theme of overcoming what seems like an insurmountable tragedy with personal empowerment and  tenacity. Don’t be surprised is Colella takes home the prize on Sunday. Come From Away is nominated for 7 Tony Awards, including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical (Jenn Colella), Best Book of a Musical (Irene Sankoff and David Hein), Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Music & Lyrics: Irene Sankoff and David Hein), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Howell Binkley), Best Direction of a Musical (Christopher Ashley), and Best Choreography (Kelly Devine).

#1 Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812

 Josh Groban and Denée Benton star in a new musical inspired by a 70-page slice of Tolstoy’s War and Peace. There are pieces of musical theater that push the boundaries of the art and expand it to places its never really been before. Hamilton, for example, broke the rigid ethnic lines of casting like-raced actors in like-raced roles. That show also showed that hip-hop and rap can translate into theatrical productions amazingly well. TITANIC pushed the envelope of elaborate set pieces and groundbreaking special effects the way MISS SAIGON‘s famous helicopter scene continues to dazzle audiences. And Spider-Man: Turn off The Dark introduced elaborate digital projection and aeronautical-centric choreography that has yet to be replicated. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 joins the list of those incredible productions that break ground in the performing arts. The show is housed in the Imperial Theatre. Or, I should say, the show houses the Imperial Theatre. That’s because the entire house was gutted and uniquely rebuilt and repurposed for this show. Stage pieces encompass major areas of the orchestra; and the audience is placed around the action, which occurs in a literally 360-degree fashion. The music, played by musician actors who play the score throughout the production in various locations throughout the theater, has a rock-operatic feel. And the lighting effects are used to blind the audience at all the right times. Of course, the main attraction for the show has been its leading man, recording artist Josh Groban (Tony Nominated here), whose incredibly powerful baritone voice sends chills up your spine. The final number, which ties the story together and finally addresses the title component of The Great Comet of 1812, is unbelievably spine-tingling punctuated by a breath-taking lighting effect that leaves the audience speechless. Natasha, Pierre, and the Great Comet of 1812 is nominated for the most Tony Awards of any show this season, including Best Musical, Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical (Josh Groban), Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical (Denée Benton), Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical (Lucas Steele), Best Book of a Musical (Dave Malloy), Best Original Score (Music and/or Lyrics) Written for the Theatre (Music & Lyrics: Dave Malloy), Best Scenic Design of a Musical (Mimi Lien), Best Costume Design of a Musical (Paloma Young), Best Lighting Design of a Musical (Bradley King), Best Direction of a Musical (Rachel Chavkin), Best Choreography (Sam Pinkleton), and Best Orchestrations (Dave Malloy),

Written by Guest Writer E. Fisher:

Bandstand follows Donny Novitski (Cott), from WW II battlefield, to NYC & Hollywood.  He’s a singer/song- writer who steam-roller collects a group of musicians, (veterans) determined to win the big NBC radio contest culminating in a Hollywood movie, fame, fortune the   USA’s next big band.  There’s recurring battle memories & PTSD, some tear jerking, lots of wonderful ’40s style dancing & music & a thread of plot that picks up steam as the show moves along.  (Lots of veterans in the audience were loudly supportive.)  As w/ a few other  recent Bway shows, many of the top people sing,    dance & play an instrument. Each band member is       an extremely good soloist on his instrument. Before I saw it, I was hard pressed to figure out how  they were going to make a Bway show out of the plot. It has the strong ’40s movie simplicity w/ exceptionally wonderful dancing.

The entire cast maintains a high level of energy & character.  (I was impressed that they were all so fresh & strong after finishing the matinee  today.)  Osnos’ mother, Beth Leavel, is a delightful  highlight as are many of the smaller parts, but as a whole, & individually, this feels much more like an adult Judy Garland/Mickey Rooney ’40s movie – simple, w/ a very uncomplicated plot.  I was surprised at how many Hamilton staging & choreographic elements were      used, updated & “modernized” — but solidly there.       The 1st act seemed unusually long & lots of the plot   telegraphed eons ahead of time.  The show was tried   out at the Paper Mill Playhouse last year & the Bway opening was postponed, needing further work.  It still   feels as if it needs further work — probably on the book, first.  Much of what’s there is marvelously good (dancing) with some particularly good musicians & talent — but overall, is insufficient & somewhat lacking overall.  I’d   say this would probably make a good play — if the book is reworked a bit, but, as is, the dancing & music over- whelm the too thin plot.

Sure to be Tony-nominee Ben Platt was joined by his cast mates from what will surely be a Best Musical Tony-nominee Dear Evan Hansen on the Today Show Tuesday. Check out video of the incredible performance below. Dear Evan Hansen plays at the Music Box Theatre on Broadway. Tickets can be purchased here:http://dearevanhansen.com.

As I mentioned during my review of the 2015 production of TITANIC in Toronto, 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: A New Musical. As a young man of 19, 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 dwindle, 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. Rex Reed commented in his review of the original production that he believed he was watching, “A genuine addition to the American musical theater.” Reed was correct. The show has proven itself as an iconic work and lived on through numerous incarnations of the show–including a national tour, productions across the globe, and most recently at the Princess of Wales Theatre in Toronto, Canada in the Summer of 2015. The Toronto production, which opened May 19th, 2015 was 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, official word was producers were unable to find a house for the show; and plans were scrapped.

So, until TITANIC is able to rightly take its place back on the Broadway stage once again, it lives on in regional productions, including the scaled down, yet beautiful, production at Signature Theatre in Arlington, Virginia. The actors, many of whom play multiple roles, are spectacular. As an ensemble, they are spine-chillingly perfect. Some of the individual performers really stand out. Christopher Block portrays Captain EJ Smith perhaps even more convincingly than original Broadway cast member John Cunningham. He has the mannerisms of the famed Captain down exquisitely.

Bobby Smith, whose absolutely gorgeous and powerful voice fills the theater during each of his scenes, proves he is a veteran performer with the talent and ability to back it. Lawrence Redmond’s Ismay is just as effective. And Nick Lehan, playing wireless operator Harold Bride, displays an incredible range of dynamic vocal quality, that makes up for some of the shortcomings in the dynamic range of Sam Ludwig, who plays Barrett among other roles. Their duet, “The Night Was Alive” has always been my favorite number and scene from the show; and Lehan’s sweet and ranging style provides the perfect blend with Ludwig’s more direct and less dynamic voice during the song.

Florence Lacy, as Ida Strauss, is  complimented by the equally capable John Leslie Wolfe as husband Isidor, amazingly. Their duet “Still,” showcases the love the characters had for one another as they decided to die together rather than occupy a space in a lifeboat. Finally, Chris Sizemore and Iyona Blake, though strangely coupled as second class soon-to-be spouses Charles Clarke and Caroline Neville, amazingly make the audience forget their age and racial difference (which is only signifiant because it would more than likely not have existed during the early 1900’s). Neville has a beautiful operatic quality to her voice that is complimented incredibly well by Sizemore. Their number, “I Give You My Hand,” cut from the original Broadway production, is restored beautifully here. While I was originally skeptical of the duo; their performances quickly silenced any fear of anachronism I may have originally had.

Perhaps one aspect in which the show is lacking is its sets. The set is punctuated by several ramps  that transverse through several stories throughout the theater, reflecting various entry points to the ship. While this provides scale to the production, most of the action takes place on the main stage, which is often barren sans a very small number of props. So, scenic designer Paul Tate dePoo III leaves a LOT to audiences’ imagination. That works to a certain extent in the theater; but leaving the audience with too much responsibility to fill in the scenic gaps can cheapen the effectiveness of a show. The original production was lauded for its incredible sets. Stewart Laing won the Tony Award for a set that did the unthinkable–SANK! Of course, with large set pieces, props, and costumes (designed by Frank Labovitz and which are somewhat basic in this production), comes enormous expense that regional theaters’ budgets simply don’t have as much space for.

However where the show lacks in sets and costumes, it more than makes up for where it counts–THE BEAUTIFUL MAURY YESTON SCORE!!! Unlike the Toronto production, which utilized a tiny 6-person orchestra, Signature has opted to use a full orchestra to provide the score. THAT ALONE MAKES THIS PRODUCTION WORTH SEEING MORE THAN ONCE! The richness of that amazing score is performed EXACTLY the way it should be! It was so incredibly nice to hear every musical nuance of the production, with an amazingly capable cast of musicians. The woodwinds, strings, brass, and percussion are blended flawlessly in Yeston’s work; and it is so incredibly refreshing to hear it all here! Josh Clayton (orchestrations), James Moore (musical direction), and Ryan Hickey (sound design) demonstrate the addition of woodwinds and brass to the arrangement of heavy strings augments heavily 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. Some lines, delivered by different characters in this production compared to the original, provide a fresh take on the work. The final scene of the original show, which I truly believe was the best final scene ever written for the theater, is less effective with the staging employed here. The characters are moreso joined by the dead, spaced throughout the set, rather than reunited with them, as seen in the original and subsequent productions of the show. Yet the ensemble makes the audience quickly overlook that with their sweepingly powerful and beautiful vocals.

TITANIC truly deserves a life on Broadway. I am really hoping that somehow, that happens! The quality of what is on-stage in Arlington right now is truly amazing. 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.  TITANIC plays at the Signature Theatre through January 29th. For tickets, visit the show’s official Web site @: http://www.sigtheatre.org/events/2016-17/titanic/. Below, watch highlights of the show, courtesy of Signature Theatre: