New York City and Me - Two Weeks of 2014

Many of you have asked about my recent adventures in New York City.  I hope these pictures are a good tease!

Reviewing Shows vs Previewing Shows

More than reviewing shows in Utah, I love to preview them.  

Sometimes an outside set of eyes sees something that a person heavily involved in the show doesn't see after two months of daily rehearsals.

I've been asked to review several shows and I have a blast thinking that someone out there may value my opinion. 

However, I've also been asked to see a couple of shows a week or two before they open.  Why?  To share my feedback on what is or isn't working.  I love this so much more than reviewing.

Previewing a show is certainly more entertaining in it's own right, but not for value of the show.  I like to see how hard people are working and the human side of the actors.  Most of all, I like knowing that what I have to share with them can actually make a difference in the quality of the show.  We all love reviews when they are good.  What about when they are bad?  The worst feeling for me is when I have something negative to say about a show and I know it could have been fixed prior to the show opening.  How can you give constructive criticism when all of the construction is already finished?

I'm not an expert, let me be clear on that.  I think my lack of "being an expert" is just what makes my observations poignant.  How many people seeing community theater in Utah are experts?  How many people are folks who know a thing or two about theater and simply enjoy the show?  I have quite a lengthy list of experiences both on and off the stage for over 20 years and I have seen over 100 Broadway productions in New York City - this doesn't make me an expert, but it sure does give me an eye for a good performance. 

I love reviewing shows, however, if anyone out there ever wants another pair of eyes at any point in the rehearsal process, I'd love to come and give my two cents.  I love making a difference.

Photo courtesy of: http://www.centuryvillagecondoforsale.com/theater-and-entertainment/

 

New York City: If A Picture Paints A Thousand Words

Newsies Sing-Along

"Open the gates and seize the day."

Remember that time when five grown adults heard these magical words and let the spell fall upon them of spontaneously breaking into a full, robust musical number?

I do.

You know who you are.  Am I guilty?  Puhlease, as if I ever had the willpower to refrain from a Newsies sing-along.  You know you're jealous.

Idina Menzel

Idina Menzel.

Need I say more?

When Broadway stars perform concerts, you always know they are going to be phenomenal because they were born to perform live.  Idina began her Park City - Deer Valley concert with, "Life of the Party" from "Wild Party" and I immediately forgot any inconvenience I'd been through to get to my blanketed spot on the hillside overlooking the valley and mountains surrounding me.

For all of the superfans, she performed her hits from Glee and Wicked.  She cracked me up when she explained she couldn't understand the significance of "Poker Face" in her Glee plot line of reuniting with her daughter - "Poker, chickens, random baked goods, a Tony-award winning actress who can't make sense of it, but okay." What I loved most, however, were the stories she shared with us about her family.  She shared how her husband (Taye Diggs. Roar.) and she sing to their little boy every night with their own songs.  Then she shared with us her song, backed up with the entire symphony.  Oh that every baby could hear the song of his mother's heart backed up with professional musicians.

Music has a way of touching your soul that no other means can.  For her encore, she sang, "Tomorrow," from the musical "Annie."  I know what you are thinking.  What? Yeah.  The most beautiful version of the song I have ever heard.  Most of the audience had tears streaming down their faces and I don't think I'd be too far off in saying they took away with them a new vigor for life.  I saw dreams coming true in the eyes of those around me.

Thank you, Idina. 

How To Succeed In Business Without Really Trying On Broadway

"Are you here for the show or are you here for Daniel Radcliffe?"And thus begins my experience with How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying, our unanimously favorite show of the trip.

I found myself smack dab in the center, 5th row orchestra, next to this delightful older gentleman from Australia.  He takes a three week vacation each year to come to New York and see 21 productions.  The guy was serious about his show-viewing and I had to put him to ease a little that I wasn't some crazy Harry Potter fangirl there to hoot and holler and drool over Radcliffe the whole show.  I've been wanting to see How to... for at least fifteen years and know every word to every song.  Now, the fact that the show stars John Larroquette (J.B. Biggley), Tammy Blanchard (Hedy La Rue), and Daniel Radcliffe are added perks to my experience, but I'd have seen the show regardless. 

The Plot
The curtain lifts and a man dressed as a window washer starts descending from the ceiling whilst reading an instructional book, "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying."  The lights brighten, we hear his voice, and then he flashes us a bright, shining smile - enter Daniel Radcliffe as J. Pierrepont Finch.
Basically, the title says all you need to know.  A young man with lofty ambitions, an "eager beaver," manipulates and lucks his way to the top of the corporate ladder, all while trying to win over Rosemary (Rose Hemingway).  How To... does not try to take itself seriously as far as the story, yet the characters within the story are delightfully real...at least we wish they were.

The Music
What can I say?  Here you have your classic Broadway show with fun, not-too-serious music you can tap your toes to, sing along, and smile smile smile.  I really don't feel I can be objective here because I have loved these songs for far too long, from Coffee break to Paris Original to Brotherhood of Man.

The Costumes
Mad Men on color crack for the ladies and just straight up Mad Men for the men....well...with a little added flair in bright accents, such as Radcliffe's bow tie. 

The Sets
Flashy and totally retro 1960s glam-office feel.  We were all enamored with the office of J.B. Bigley on the "second floor" of the set.  His entrance was an elevated, slide-out platform on the left of the stage.  Sounds simple enough, but added that extra little flair.  The way they worked the scenes in the "elevator" also tickled us.  The only set at all I can remember thinking was a little sparse was during the song Coffee Break.  Seriously though, you 100% felt the 1960s over-exaggerated office environment.

The Choreography
The best of the shows we saw!  Even silly songs like Coffee Break were magical because of the staging, the lifts, the random body positioning...les sigh!
Is there anything out there that makes my heart flutter the way a handsome singing, dancing man does?  How about almost twenty of them?  Be still my heart.  I could have watched Brotherhood of Man over and over and over.  In fact, I may or may not have watched the video at least five times.  Grande Old Ivy stole my heart as well - Larroquette and Radcliffe were both dripping with sweat by the end of the number, with more than good reason.  See it, see it, see it! 

The Actors/Actresses
Many of you out there may be speculating that Daniel Radcliffe got this role because he played Harry Potter, therefore bringing in that fan base to pay beaucoup bucks and make the show a success regardless of the quality.
I want to tell you - loudly, proudly, firmly - this is not the case.  Can Radcliffe sing?  Dance? Act? Yes, yes, YES!  And all without a trace of his accent.  Want confirmation?  I can't say enough, the video at the end of this text from a Good Morning America performance speaks for itself.  Keep in mind, even the video does not do the actual stage performance justice.
I will say that we all agreed you can tell Radcliffe is a screen actor because, through the first 2/3 of the show, his antics were not "larger than life."  By the time Brotherhood of Man hit, however, you would never guess this man hadn't been on the Broadway stage his entire life.
I was just going to write, "You know who really stole the show?"  But I can't, because they all stole the show in their own rights and at different times.  If you had to pick one  person to see this shoe for, that would have to be Larroquette.  The man can knit - seriously!  I honestly had no idea I was in for such a treat with him.  If someone else wins the Tony award for which he was nominated, I will have to see that actor because I am fully convinced no one can top this.
Rose Hemingway, in her Broadway debut, was... well... perfect.  When you know a show for years, you have pre-conceived notions of how everything should be, which can often lead you to being disgruntled with a perfectly splendid performance.  Hemingway was everything you could want and more - darling, voice to kill, looks to kill, and capable of stealing that spotlight from Radcliffe at any moment (but finding a fine balance).
Tammy Blanchard as Hedy La Rue is the Joan Holloway of the stage.  Va-va-voom!
I could so so much about so many of these actors and actresses, but, really, you just need to see them for yourselves.

My Biggest Downfall?
I have a few of things on my list here - only one in regards to the actual performance.
My Australian acquaintance pointed this out to me several times - the first act of the play was almost two hours.  This my friends, is far too long for a first act.  Not like I cared - they could have gone on all night and I would have stayed, but try to keep it to eighty minutes or less for those restless or elderly audience members. 
Another - I never did believe that Finch actually loves Rosemary...but perhaps this is all part of the farce of the 1960s the script is intending.  She's happy to keep his dinner warm and has security, he has arm candy and someone to wait on him.
The theater itself is also far too small in the lobby area.  I tried to get to the restroom during intermission and, well, it took me five minutes to get out into the lobby upon which I was pushed into a wall and pinned there against some other ladies for another five minutes, trying to keep a large mirror from falling off the wall and onto the pushers.  I couldn't even begin to see where a line formed because we were motionless sardines.  I gave up and went back to my seat.  Good thing, too, because Keri and Megan (one and two rows behind me, respectively) actually found the line and missed the first five minutes of the second act. 
If your favorite Broadway show is Next to Normal, then this probably isn't the show for you.  I love that show too, but what I'm saying is that if you are looking for something moving and educational, you are barking up the wrong tree here. 

My Biggest Praise?
My brain is going into this tizzy of a tailspin trying to put into words all the fabulous things.  You cannot see this show without finding your cheek muscles sore at the end because you have been grinning from ear to ear for three hours.  You may even find your abs are extra firm from laughing.  This is the kind of show that will leave you wanting to immediately jump on the stage and do your own song and dance number or twirl around light posts in the rain.  The only word I can think of to describe it all is, "electric." 

If this show doesn't win the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical, I will be thoroughly shocked.  I recommend this show right up there with Jersey Boys and Wicked for those venturing to NYC for the first time.

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Catch Me If You Can on Broadway

By now, we are all probably at least one-view familiar with the Tom Hanks / Leonardo DiCaprio movie, Catch Me If You Can.  Would you believe they put this on stage as a musical?  I was a bit skeptical, I have to admit, but the reviews I read were glowing and the show stars not one, not two, but five Broadway and television/film "big" stars with whom I am familiar.  If the show were bad, they may be able to attract one "star," but five?  Ticket, please!

I wish I hadn't needed such a vacation from vacation when I returned home and had had the energy to write about all of these immediately for more complete details.

The Plot
Pretty much the same as the movie. Frank Abagnale, Jr. (Aaron Tveit) begins conning around the age of 16 due to the divorce of his mother and father (Tom Wopat!!!).  The show highlights his exploits forging overdraft checks, posing as a PanAm Pilot, a doctor, and the beginnings of a lawyer.  Throughout his scheming, he is always just barely eluding Carl Hanratty (Norbert Leo Butz), based upon real life FBI agent Joe Shea.  We also see a brief romantic interlude with Brenda (Kerry Butler) that eventually lead to his capture.
What I really appreciated about this script was the one thing that Wonderland was lacking - the cheese actually added cohesion.  These actors embraced every silly joke or twisted line in a way I can only dream of.  Because, trust me, there were some crazy lines.  I'm not quite sure if it was the script ("the book" in official lingo) that made this show better than the previous, or the actors.  I'd definitely side with the scripting team, as Wonderland had some *wow* actors, but I could be wrong.  There is a fine, fine line that an actor must dance near when being punny and cheesy - one side of the line and everyone laughs right along with you, the other side and you are DOA.    They go over the top with everything in this cat and mouse game, yet...I like it.

The Music
I really enjoyed the music, especially the songs that lent themselves to big production numbers - like when Jr. meets his girlfriend's family or when Hanratty dances around like a total goof.

The Costumes
Talk about women with sexy legs!  1960s airline stewardesses had this reputation of being sex symbols and, by golly, the costuming does not disappoint.  I'm sure the hemline's are about 8 inches higher than the real deal was.  All of the outfits matched the mood of the music, the lighting, the era, and were clever enough to be "costumes" without being over-the-top.  Another thing I appreciated?  These costumes were sexy without being trashy, another fine line.

The Sets
I adored how the entire orchestra was on the actual stage.  Often times the stage would open up to this Ziegfeld era set - my first taste of this was when Abagnale, Jr. began to tell the audience something along the lines of how he is creating his own story and has his own symphony to play for him...oh man, I wish I could remember because it was actually so cute and clever that as much as I wanted to dislike this strange transition, I couldn't help but smile to myself.

The Choreography
Fun!  I loved how Norbert Leo Butz can dance around like a buffoon of a man 20 years older than he actually is who doesn't know how to dance, but Butz does know how to dance.  I've seen him in Wicked and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels.  The women had such six-pack abs it was almost distracting...there is yet a third fine line approached in this show - women who are too cut.  Only one of the women crossed the line, thank heavens, or I may just never be able to look at my own abs again.  One last thing to say: Legs, Legs, Legs!!!

The Actors/Actresses
I think I've already talked about this one too much.  I adore Tom Wopat.  My first experience in NYC lead me to the musical 42nd Street one afternoon, front row seat.  If his booming voice doesn't win your heart, his energy and kindness will.  After the musical that afternoon, I watched the orchestra until they had finished playing, and, what I saw surprised me - Tom Wopat would run down to the pit after every curtain call and conduct the orchestra for their exit number.  How awesome is that?  He was all smiles and hopping around and full of a kind of energy I only see in young boys.  He brought all of that, only channeled differently, into Catch Me If You Can.  I love him.
To quote this enamored young man from the audience behind me, "Norbert Leo Butz is a God!  Playing a character 20 years older than he is?  He's a genius!"  Seriously, you'd never believe he isn't some stifled late 50's office paper pusher.
Aaron Tveit's as the schmoozing con-artist flowed on stage like...I don't know, something that flows really well:-)  The contrast and compliment he and Butz were able to share made both of their characters work.  Each  has a polar opposite charm that attracts the audience to them and them to each other.  Tveit's also delivers one of my favorite lines.  When asked why he did one of his schemes, his response was simply, "I like girls."
Kerry Butler as Brenda was adorable, but spent most of her time off stage.  Her character was a sprightly, tiny, bubbly, hourglass, intelligent bundle of normalcy amongst all the Glamazons.  And she owned it.
The two who portrayed Brenda's parents - Carol and Roger Strong (Linda Hart and Nick Wyman) were incredible stand-out featured performers.  Linda Hart had me in stitches - her character just does all these unexpected...well...things.  You'd have to see her.  In our particular performance, there was a man in the audience laughing like a hyena.  And laughing.  And laughing.  Linda apparently couldn't hold it in because she started busting up laughing as she delivered her line, but somehow managed to work that in to her somewhat tipsy character.  Oh I loved her. 

My Biggest Downfall?
Catch Me If You Can is definitely more of an adult musical.  Not in that creeper kinda way, but as in the costumes aren't crazy and there aren't colors and rainbows and lollipops everywhere.  The themes are also a bit too mature for children...even if they weren't, this isn't the eye-catching, bubble-gum pop-sound of a show for them.
Isn't it awesome that that is the worst thing I can think of and it isn't even bad?

My Biggest Praise?
The way the actors/actresses delivered the script, embracing everything about their characters and their over-the-top show.  These were not actors playing a part, these folks were the characters.  Hats off to book writer Terrence McNally, who wrote another of my favorites - Ragtime.

I admit, I was a little star-struck.  I adore some of these players and could watch them chew gum and enjoy it.  Well, maybe not.  The show really was fantastic.  I'm still a Jersey Boys girl at heart, but give Catch Me If You Can a chance if you haven't quite had your fill of the 60s.

If you'd like to read another opinion, go on over to Megan's blog for her take from the balcony that evening.