Dr. Blackwell's BLOG

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.

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.

When I first heard Andrew Lloyd Webber was working on a sequel to his classic musical The Phantom of the Opera, I was a little skeptical. All right to be honest, I was A LOT skeptical of Love Never Dies! That thinking of “why tinker with a masterpiece?” was overwhelming. But, when I started hearing some of the musical numbers as they emerged from workshop and began learning about some of the aspects of the storyline, I became more and more intrigued; and I decided to give it a chance and followed its development closely. Then, the show finally opened in 2010 at London’s Adelphi Theater, but to horrendous reviews. The show was dubbed “The Paint Never Dries” due to its constant retooling and reworking and was a production largely void of Webber, who was battling prostate cancer during its entire run. After successfully being treated for his cancer, Webber rededicated his life to Love Never Dies, completely reconstructed every element of the show’s design, and transferred the show to Australia, where it played to sold-out audiences in Melbourne and now does so in Sidney.

Webber’s praise of his new incarnation is well-published; which is why he chose the Melbourne production to film, show in movie theaters nationwide, and release on Blu-Ray. And tonight, I had the opportunity to see it for myself. Let me start by saying that Love Never Dies is NOT a rehashing of Phantom; and it stands alone as an absolutely incredible and masterful piece of musical theater destined to, like its predecessor, become a classic.  The story of the show is delicate to review. It’s difficult to give too many details about the story without revealing too much about the progression of Phantom and where the characters are, why they got there, and what developed between the original show and the sequel. There are plenty of surprises in the story for sure. But, to provide a brief description, the events take place 10 years after Phantom.

The Phantom has moved to Coney Island, where he has founded a circus-type fair that provides a great opportunity for him to be well disguised among the freaks, oddities, and entertainers of the amusement park. Christine Daae, who has risen to stardom in Paris, is summoned to New York to perform for a large payout (that is desperately needed to pay off the gambling debts amassed by her now husband Raoul, the Vicant de Chagny) in the opening of a new American opera house. But, when the Phantom enters, plans change and Christine becomes obligated to perform for him at Coney Island. Raoul, Christine, Madame Giry and her daughter Meg are reunited in the process; and secrets of the past begin to shed light on each one’s present and possible future.

The actors in this show were some of the best I’ve ever seen in a theatrical production. The Phantom is marvelously played by Ben Lewis, who’s voice is one of the most powerful yet most gorgeous I’ve ever heard. And Anna O’Byrne’s Christine sent chills up and down my spine a countless number of times throughout the show. Her vocal abilities were absolutely breathtaking. The backup performers and even the ensemble were also phenomenal. Madame Giry (Maria Mercedes), Meg Giry (Sharon Millerchip), and Raoul (Simon Gleeson) gave outstanding performances. But the real scene-stealer is Gustave, Christine’s son, who was wonderfully played by Jack Lyall. His voice was sweet, innocent, and loving; and he brings his character to life flawlessly.

Beyond the acting, the music in the show is lush, rich, and moving. It punctuates the menacing moments of the show wonderfully, but leaves a full feeling in your heart that is downright incredible. Songs like “Look With Your Heart,” “Beneath a Moonless Sky,” and “Beautiful” are ones that pull at the heartstrings and leave your soul speechless in their absolutely gorgeous beauty. And the title number is also perfectly executed and is not only chill-inducing, but highly significant to the story of Love Never Dies as well. Not many of the musical themes present in Phantom are here; Love Never Dies has a very unique score that stands apart. “Learn to Be Lonely” which Webber wrote for the film version of Phantom is present ever-so-slightly in two scenes and there are some small Phantom themes present briefly a small number of other times. But the score here has almost zero resemblance to Phantom.

The sets of the show are also mind-boggling. I found myself comparing many of the sets to that of Spider-Man: Turn Off the Dark, not for similarity, but for their sheer complexity and grandiosity.  Perhaps no scene more better displays the brilliant intricacies of the sets’ inter-workings and impressiveness than “The Beauty Underneath.” In conclusion, Love Never Dies was an absolutely fantastic addition to the works of Andrew Lloyd Webber and I agree with his assertion that its quality is one of his best. Prior to the start of the show, a 15-minute “making of” montage is shown and Webber discusses the birth of Love Never Dies in great detail. It is quite apparent that he is a proud papa. And judging  from the experience I had tonight watching this show, he should be quite proud indeed. It will be heartbreaking if this show doesn’t make its way to Broadway. It is unbelievably deserving of a life there and will be embraced by theatergoers who loved everything about the original The Phantom of the Opera. But in the meantime, Love Never Dies plays one more time in theaters nationwide on March 7th. Tickets are available on Fathom Events’ Web Site: http://www.fathomevents.com. Below, take a look at the preview for Love Never Dies:

 The Broadway tour of Billy Elliot: The Musical has made its stop at the Bob Carr Center for the Performing Arts in Orlando this week. While the show was going to have a two-week engagement, lagging ticket sales unfortunately resulted in the show’s stint being shortened by a week. Consequently, it plays through this Sunday only. And if you can obtain tickets to the show, I highly recommend you do so. This is a great show that has a very rich and moving story told by some excellent actors (many of whom are children) who display an extraordinary amount of talent. The musical is pop-rock in design (what else would you expect from Sir Elton John,who wrote the show’s music?) and while enjoyable, isn’t the most memorable aspect of the show. That would rest in the actual dancing that is prominent in many of the scenes and the beautifully moving story of a young boy who dared to be different in a time of upheaval and extreme adversity.

The backdrop of the story centers on a striking community of  coal miners in Northern England, who are enduring the conservative anti-union leadership of newly-elected British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. These blue-collared men are making a harsh decision to abstain from work, which is taking an extreme financial and emotional toll on their families. The Elliot family consisting of a father, his youngest son Billy, eldest son Tony, and his mother (Grandma) have been hard hit by the strike, with both Dad and Tony unemployed. We also learn early in the show that the family is without its matriarch, who died presumably when Billy was quite young. Amid the strike, Dad is giving Billy what little money he has to send him to get skilled in the hyper-masculine sport of boxing. But, Billy’s interest lies instead in ballet dancing. And he begins taking lessons with a caring yet tough dance instructor named Mrs. Wilkinson, who after recognizing Billy’s extraordinary potential, inspires him to pursue an audition with the Royale Ballet School of London.

Of course, when Dad and Tony discover that Billy is actually learning the traditionally female-dominated skill of dance, they loudly disapprove and put it to a screeching hault. As the story moves into Act II, Dad and the rest of the mining community slowly shift their support behind Billy, realizing that his talent for dance may be a golden ticket to a better life, one that none of them ever had the opportunity to live.  The main characters of Dad (Rich Hebert), Tony (Cullen R. Titmas), and Grandma (Cynthia Darlow) are wonderfully performed. Each actor has a long extensive list of Broadway show credits to his or her name. But the real scene stealers are Billy (played by Kylend Hetherington at my performance–but rotated among several child actors) and Mrs. Wilkinson (Leak Hocking–who was in the OBC of Billy Elliot). Both actors are tremendous. Hocking brings her character to life; and Hetherington not only demonstrates his extraordinary skill in dancing, but his ability to sing and tear at the audience’s heart strings. “Dear Billy (Mum’s Letter)” had everyone around me in the theater crying; and the dream sequence in Act II featuring Billy and his envisioned older self is breathtaking.

The entire show is inspirational, uplifting, and thought-provoking. It has a lot of highs and a lot of lows. And although it’s almost three hours in length, it keeps a fast pace without one boring lull.  The cast is full of child actors, each of which is fantastic. Billy’s best friend Michael is wonderfully played by Cameron Clifford. His character is an interesting one that somewhat perplexed me. He has a taste for female clothing and has a feminine personality, which is somewhat of a distraction in several scenes that attempt to depict ballet dancing as a sport fitting for men rather than an emasculating art. While he provided some great opportunities for comic relief, his character may have been a bit too stereotypical for my liking. Nonetheless, by the end of the show, your heart melts for him. The sets of the show are also incredible! Many set changes take place within the set itself as drawer-like contraptions expand and shrink settings and scenes. And a stage that is at once completely full of scenery, props, and sets quickly becomes one of a barren dance floor, punctuated by lights and shadows that are brilliantly manipulated to illustrate a scene.

While I wouldn’t say the music of the show is its best quality, it isn’t bad either. Some of the numbers like “We’d Go Dancing” and “Angry Dance” provide an excellent sense of emotion that is humorous and sweet in the former and angry and relentless in the latter. Overall, this show was fantastic. The acting, dancing, technical aspects, and overall production make this show one that is worth seeing. If you aren’t moved by the touching and beautiful message of Billy Elliot, then it’s time to have a little introspection. Because this is one amazing musical that will make  you shed a tear or two,  crack a smile, and triumphantly cheer! It’s one of those rare shows that will enlighten your mind and lift your spirit. It’s sad the show didn’t have a longer life on Broadway. But luckily for us, it’s here in Orlando this week and it shouldn’t be missed. Billy Elliot The Musical plays through Sunday at Orlando’s Bob Carr Center for the Performing Arts.

Last week I was able to experience an absolutely incredible piece of musical theater. One of my all-time favorite shows to ever grace the stages of Broadway, Les Miserables made its way to the Bob Carr Performing Arts Center in Orlando. Thankfully, I am a season ticket holder because EVERY show scheduled on its stop in Orlando sold-out! Now, mind you, I’ve seen this show probably close to 6-7 times in my life. I know every song by heart and I can visualize every nuance of every scene play-by-play. But, of all the times I’ve seen the show, I’ve never had the opportunity to see it like this! Les Miz is now 25 years old! And the production that played for years at the Broadway Theater in New York is long closed and its tour came to an end several years ago as well. But in 2006, the show’s producer, Cameron Mackintosh decided it was time to bring Les Miz back and the show was completely revamped for its revival run at the Broadhurst Theater. The show ran for two years in its renewed carnation and began preparation for its touring production shortly after it closed in January of 2008.

And in this production, the staging adds so much to the show! The famed revolving stage is gone. In its place, however, are elaborate and well-detailed sets that add a tremendous amount to the story, characters, and depiction of a France in upheaval and revolution. The sets were absolutely gorgeous and I was astonished at their scale and how wonderfully they were used to transition from scene-to-scene. While no one particular set was better than any other, the quality of the sets really stood out to me in the beginning of the show in the factory scene where Fontine is “outed” as an unwed mother and cast out of her job. The set looks like a real working factory and the workers are arranged to appear as if they truly are at work in such a sweatshop. And the acting and singing from this group of performers are outstanding! Jean Valjean is wonderfully played by Broadway veteran J. Mark McVey, who played Valjean in the Broadway production 2,900 times! His voice and ability to melodically display his dynamic range was breathtaking. He performed the role, one of the most difficult to play, with the utmost talent and beyond. And Andrew Varela’s Javert was menacing yet beautiful at just the right times (eg. “Stars” and “Soliloquy”). Perhaps the actor who really stole the show, however, was Max Quinlan, who played the role of Marius. His voice was powerful yet youthfully aloof at just the right times (“In My Life,” and “A Heart Full of Love” are both great standout moments for the actor). I believe he played this role better than any other I’ve ever seen do so. His coupling with Jenny Latimer’s Cossette was stunningly perfect.

The roles of Fantine (Betsy Morgan) and Eponine (Chasten Harmon) were also played quite well; the actors had just the right mix of operatic and non-operatic vocal ability that they shone bright during numbers such as “I Dreamed a Dream” and “On My Own.” And the ensemble, including the children cast in the show (Kylie McVey–Little Cossette and Young Eponine; Anthony Pierini–Garoche), brought an unparalleled dedication to their roles that made you forget they were the background of the story. The only minor complaint I have was with the actors who played the comedic roles of Madame Thenadier and her husband (Shawna Hamic and Richard Vida–both of whom played the roles on Broadway). These characters require voices that are giddy and require comedic inflection and tone. While these two certainly provided the much-needed comedic relief in a show that desperately needs some, I’ve seen others perform these roles much better. But this was a very minor criticism of this production.

The revival of this show did something I have not seen before; it topped its predecessor. Ragtime had a fantastic revival about 2 years ago that was much more minimalistic compared to its behemoth original production at the then Ford Center for the Performing Arts (now the Foxwoods Theater, home to my now all-time favorite show Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark). Both were fantastic in their own unique ways; but the original certainly had much more of an opulent feel of grandiosity that the smaller revival couldn’t compete with. Here, with Les Miz, I think we have the opposite. The minimalistic qualities of the original production and its revolving stage and dark bare sets are augmented tremendously, making this production almost superior to the original. Les Miserables will always be known and respected as one of the most beloved musicals of all-time. That distinction is well-deserved even though newer shows like Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, Titanic, and even (now older) Miss Saigon far surpassed it in-terms of the “Wow!” factor! In this new production, however, that “Wow!” factor has been amplified, making this production one that is surely not-to-be-missed. Check out lesmis.com to see the tour schedule and see a preview for the new revival production of Les Miserables below: