Come From Away

 Come From Away (2021)

Starring Petrina Bromley, Jenn Colella, De'Lon Grant, Joel Hatch, Tony LePage, Caesar Samayoa, Q. Smith, Astrid van Wieren, Emily Walton, Jim Walton, Sharon Wheatley, and Paul Whitty

Directed by Christopher Ashley

Written and Music & Lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Click here for my Letterboxd review

The RyMickey Rating:  C+

Theater Review - The Play That Goes Wrong

The Play That Goes Wrong

Written by Henry Lewis, Jonathan Sayer, and Henry Shields

Directed by Mark Bell

Where: The Lyceum Theatre, New York, NY

When:  Wednesday, July 12, 7pm

The British drama group The Cornley University Drama Society cordially invites you to their production of The Murder at Haversham Manor, the showing of which they've somehow managed to secure the Broadway Lyceum Theatre.  Headed by Chris Bean (Dave Hearn), the society is a small ensemble, but they feel they've found the perfect production to showcase their talents.  Needless to say, as The Murder at Haversham Manor unfolds it rather quickly becomes The Play That Goes Wrong as everything -- and I mean everything -- that could go wrong does leading to a hilarious night at the theater as chaos reigns on the stage.

In the vein of Noises Off which is a rollicking behind-the-scenes look at the production of a play (review), The Play That Goes Wrong succeeds at hitting all the right notes when it comes to humor -- or "humour" as the Brits like to call it -- the extra "u" is for the added funny, I assume.  Sure, some of the jokes may fall a little flat, but as The Murder at Haversham Manor unfolds, anything and everything you could dream of falls apart -- sometimes quite literally on the Tony-winning set by Nigel Hook.  Chaos certainly reigns amongst the ensemble and while you want to feel a bit bad for the group, you also can't wait to see what breaks down next.

The eight-member ensemble of The Play That Goes Wrong is at the top of their game, verbally playing off each other with expert timing.  Of course, the expert timing also comes into play with the innumerable physical comedy routines that run rampant throughout the production.  Even more amazing and truly showcasing the troupe's carefully honed skills is the fact that one member of the troupe was hurt during Act I and was replaced by an understudy in Act II without any issue.  In fact, most of the audience assumed that the replacement actress was actually part of the show, making the assumption that this was simply one of the things that went wrong.  Despite the ensemble nature, a special mention must be made for Henry Shields (who co-wrote the play) whose Robert hams it up in his first production with the Cornley Drama Society.

Comedy is a tricky thing and helmer Mark Bell has directed his cast expertly with perfect timing all around.  Ultimately, The Play That Goes Wrong could've really been trimmed by about twenty minutes, creating a more streamlined one-act production as opposed to a two-hour two-act presentation, but it's tough to really complain when you find yourself laughing from start to finish in The Play That Goes Wrong. 

Theater Review - Groundhog Day

Groundhog Day

Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

Book by Danny Rubin

Directed by Matthew Warchus

Where: August Wilson Theatre, New York, NY

When:  Wednesday, July 12, 2pm

One may find it hard to believe that the 1993 Bill Murray comedy classic Groundhog Day would make a good Broadway musical, but that's just what composer/lyricist Tim Minchin (whose Matilda recently graced the Broadway stage) and writer Danny Rubin tried to accomplish with director Matthew Warchus' production of Groundhog Day playing at the August Wilson Theatre in New York City.  Despite multiple Tony nominations this year, expectations were a bit muted for me and I'm happy to say I was pleasantly surprised.  While certainly flawed, Groundhog Day provides an enjoyable way to spend an afternoon (at a likely discounted price since the show is simply doing okay attendance-wise) with a great starring performance by Andy Karl who carries the entire show on his shoulders and succeeds at making us give a damn about a rather nasty main protagonist.

Much like the film, the musical follows Pennsylvania weatherman Phil Conners (the aforementioned Tony-nominated Andy Karl) who is forced to begrudgingly head to Punxsutawney, Pennsylvania, to cover that famous town's Groundhog Day festivities.  Desperate to flee the town immediately following the groundhog's weather prediction, Phil and his producer Rita (Barrett Doss) find themselves stuck due to an unforeseen winter storm closing down all the major highways.  Through some mystical magic, however, Phil finds himself waking up the next day reliving February 2 all over again...and again the next day...and again the next day.  The "why" this is happening makes no difference, but instead the repetition causes Phil to look at his life and determine what kind of man he really wants to be -- the slick, slimy playboy he was before he came to Punxsutawney or a kind, pleasant, and caring guy he finds himself wanting to be whenever he's around Rita.

Mr. Karl is front and center for nearly the entire two-and-a-half hour runtime of Groundhog Day and he's a captivating figure, embodying the manic comedy and brutal desperation facing a man who must relive a single day over and over agin.  Through the songs of Tim Minchin, the smarminess of Phil is perfectly captured by Karl and even though those musical numbers may not be entirely memorable or prove to be of the stand-out nature that you'll be singing them as you live the theater, they still do a great job of adding depth and characterization to the characters voicing them.  There are some failures on the song front -- "Stuck" features an ode to an enema that I never need to hear again (and sounded a bit cacophonous in its layering of counterpoint singers), "Nobody Cares" is a weird country ode to small-town life that while staged hilariously is nothing short of odd, "Playing Nancy" is an absolutely lovely song that opens Act II, but it's about an incredibly minor character -- but I still find Minchin's clever words to be worthy of a listen (much like his work in Matlida).

There's a surprising simplicity to the set and direction of Groundhog Day, but both were glorious -- yes, that's high praise, but worthy.  The main crux of Rob Howell's scenic design is a circular roundtable in the center of the stage with a quartet of circles within it.  The clock-like design mimics the repetitive nature of Phil's days, a clever metaphor via set decoration.  Director Matthew Warchus takes that design and runs with it.  The repetition as Phil tries to unearth what is happening to him could've grown wearisome, but Warchus changes little things here and there to create humor and pathos, and there are truly some genius moments including an amusingly clever suicide sequence in which Phil attempts to kill himself in a variety of ways to no avail.  It was like watching a magic show onstage for five minutes and it was a great feat.

While I've praised Groundhog Day rather effusively, there's still something missing from it as a musical and I think it really comes down to lacking a song or two to truly latch onto as you leave the theater.  Sure, Minchin creates character-driven numbers, but they don't always translate to exciting pieces.  And while I praised the set, it is rather sparse.  With Broadway as expensive as it is, you sometimes find yourself wanting more "showiness" because it's "BROADWAY" even if that's an unfair assessment towards a particular show itself which doesn't necessarily call for grandeur.  All that being said, it's a shame that Groundhog Day hasn't really found an audience because it's an admirable piece -- maybe not a $100 ticket-priced piece, but a worthy piece nevertheless.

Theater Review - Waitress

Waitress

Music and Lyrics by Sara Bareilles

Book by Jessie Nelson

Directed by Diane Paulus

Where: Brooks Atkinson Theater, New York, NY

When: Saturday, June 25, 2pm

Charming and moving, Waitress provides its audience with a completely enjoyable two-and-a-half hours of musical theater.  While it may not be the most ostentatious in terms of set design, costumes, or choreography, it makes up for its lack of show-stopping set pieces by giving us a set of characters we can latch onto, root for, and genuinely care about as it progresses.  Couple its completely enjoyable score by pop singer Sara Bareilles with its current stellar cast and Waitress is undoubtedly worth the price of admission.

Based on the 2007 film written and directed by the late Adrienne Shelley, Waitress tells the tale of Jenna, a diner waitress and pie maker who is stuck in an incredibly unhappy marriage.  Thinking she may finally break free of her husband Earl, Jenna discovers she is pregnant and her dreams about escaping from her husband begin to crumble like a poorly made pie crust.  Depressed, Jenna's visits to her gynecologist Dr. Jim Pomatter are a bit of a pleasant respite.  However, the doctor-patient relationship quickly shifts to one of romance with Jenna and the doctor entering into an affair despite the fact that they are both married.  Needless to say, hilarity and drama both ensue.

Much like the movie, the story of Waitress isn't anything to write home about.  It's rather basic and its characters (beyond Jenna and Dr. Pomatter) aren't particularly fleshed out.  That said, the core eight person cast imbues charm and emotion into their performances, creating a surprising amount of depth for some underwritten roles, particularly Charity Angél Dawson and Caitlin Houlahan as Jenna's girlfriends and fellow Joe's Diner waitresses Becky (the sassy one) and Dawn (the shy one).  Each getting their moment to shine, Dawson and Houlahan add heart and humor to the proceedings.  Speaking of humor, Tony nominee Christopher Fitzgerald steals his scenes as Ogie, the rather nerdy prospective beau of Dawn.  His "Never Ever Getting Rid of Me" number towards the end of Act I is hilariously brilliant, enthusiastically performed, and incredibly endearing.

Ultimately, though, the success of Waitress really lies solely on the performance of the title character -- Jenna -- played by recent addition to the cast Betsy Wolfe.  Blessed with a stunningly beautiful voice, Wolfe's Jenna is pessimistically optimistic about things meaning that she nearly always has that hint of seeing the light at the end of a long, dark tunnel.  Onstage for nearly the entire 150 minutes, Wolfe more than holds our attention, hitting all the right notes both vocally and emotionally for her character.  Perhaps because she was so new (I believe she'd only been in the role for about a week when I saw her), I felt the slightest lack of chemistry between Jenna and Dr. Pomatter (played by Chris Diamantopoulos) in the opening act -- the closing number of Act I "Bad Idea" should've been ripe with sexual tension, but it was missing that for me.  However, as Act II rolled around, the two actors blended together quite nicely.

As mentioned, there's a simplistic atmosphere to Waitress, although from the moment you enter the Brooks Atkinson Theater and the scent of freshly baked pies enters your nasal passages, you have a sense that you're in for something special.  Sara Bareilles' score sometimes sounds a little one-note, but its overall aesthetic fits right in with the characters.  It delivers exactly what is needed in terms of relaying information about the emotions, motivations, and priorities of the musical's ensemble.  One song in particular -- "She Used to Be Mine" -- may be one of the best written for the stage in the past several decades.  Coming close to the conclusion of the show, it conveys Jenna's entire emotional journey through song taking the audience along for the ride and it's a powerful moment that strongly resonates as we exit the theater with a giant smile on our faces.

Theater Review - Aladdin

Aladdin

Music by Alan Menken

Lyrics by Howard Ashman and Tim Rice

Book and Additional Lyrics by Chad Beguelin

Directed by Casey Nicholaw

Where: New Amsterdam Theater, New York, NY

When: Saturday, June 24, 8pm

Spectacle over substance is the best way to describe one of Disney's most recent Broadway experiences in Aladdin, a musical that mixes adult pop culture references with inane childish jokes in a way that fails miserably onstage despite working well in the 1993 animated feature film upon which this musical takes its cues.  Limply trodding along with its horrible book written by Chad Beguelin, director Casey Nicholaw's production is heavy on similarly choreographed stage numbers, but light on substance, heart, and character.  While not quite as bad as Disney's abysmal production of The Little Mermaid which took up residence on the Great White Way nearly a decade ago, Aladdin certainly ranks in the lower quarter of shows I've seen on Broadway.

For the most part, the story of the stage show of Aladdin is very similar to the film.  The title character, a down-on-his luck street rat (played by new addition to the cast Telly Leung), falls for Princess Jasmine (original cast member Courtney Reed) as she strolls around the dirty streets of Agrabah while running away from her overbearing father.  There's the villain Jafar (played by original film voice actor Jonathan Freeman) who secretly harbors love for the princess and then an eccentric and pop culture-fueled Genie (Major Attaway) who befriends our titular hero.  All that is fine, telling the same story as the film.  Unfortunately, the additions here -- a trio of Aladdin's friends who do little to advance the plot, new songs that while actually decent don't add emotional levels to the ongoing proceedings -- bog the show down as opposed to pulsing it forward.

With all of the big production numbers staged in an all-out toe-tapping manner, "Arabian Nights," "Friend Like Me," and "Prince Ali" all just blend together.  "A Whole New World's" emotional impact is slightly muted by a similarly themed (though well-written) "A Million Miles Away" that precedes it.  A new song for the Genie towards the show's conclusion does little to add to the eccentricity of the character.  Everything about the show feels repetitive and unoriginal.

The late Howard Ashman wrote several songs with Disney maestro Alan Menken that were excised from the film that reappear here and while these songs are cleverly written and jauntily executed, they do little to engage the audience, simply padding the show's runtime rather than creating a well-rounded and emotionally affecting story.  There was a reason the film's original creators removed Aladdin's friends from the motion picture -- they're weren't needed and proved a distraction from the main storyline...and they're not needed here.

Unfortunately, in addition to the lackluster direction and book, the acting company disappoints as well.  Telly Leung is a recent addition so perhaps he's just finding his footing, but his Aladdin felt a little limp and lacking connection with Princess Jasmine.  Then again, original cast member Courtney Reed does little to make Princess Jasmine anything other than a photocopy of the film's princess.  Her vocals were disappointingly weak as well.  I was expecting some excitement from the original Jafar voice actor Jonathan Freeman, but he's given very little to do.  Major Attaway as the Genie was a jolt of life in an otherwise limp affair, but I found the direction of this character -- flamboyant and manic -- disappointing.

And that descriptor - "disappointing" - sums up my feelings towards this whole affair.  Maybe I'm just too old to enjoy a Disney Broadway show.  How then to explain the wonderful Mary Poppins that was the previous inhabitant of the New Amsterdam theater which exuded whimsy, charm, and heart -- three characteristics Aladdin doesn't have in the slightest.

Theater Review - Something Rotten!

Something Rotten!

Music and Lyrics by Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick

Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell

Directed by Casey Nicholaw

Where: St. James Theater, New York, NY

When:  Thursday, December 1, 7pm

While no one will ever mistake Something Rotten! as high art, it's one heckuva fun musical that will undoubtedly have you smiling from its opening minutes to its curtain call.  The Kirkpatrick siblings Wayne and Karey (who have written music for my favorite current musical group Little Big Town which surprised me) have crafted a cadre of songs that are cleverly staged by director Casey Nicholaw in the grandest of Broadway fashion that make Something Rotten! one of the more enjoyable and whimsical nights that you'll have at the theater...but you've got to see it quickly if you want to see it on Broadway as it's ending its run on January 1.

It's 1595 in London and William Shakespeare (Adam Pascal) is the talk of the town, adored by his fans and lauded by his peers -- all of his peers but one.  Nick Bottom (Rob McClure) can't stand the prolific Bard.  A fellow playwright, Nick is admittedly jealous of Will and the praise heaped upon him, so he decides to visit soothsayer Nostradamus (played by understudy David Hibbard at my performance) to ask him what audiences will be clamoring for in the future.  After a fantastical production number in which Nostradamus predicts that the future of theater lies in this thing called "A Musical," Nick sets out to write one of these odd, contrived "musicals" where people just break into song to convey their feelings.  What's the focus of Nick's musical, you may ask?  Nostradamus predicts that Shakespeare's greatest play will be the epic, deeply moving "Omelette" -- say it out loud...notice any similarity to Shakespeare's "Hamlet?"  Yep.

Monty Python-esque in some of its humor (although much better than Spamalot which was a disappointment), Something Rotten succeeds because of its humorous music and lyrics and Casey Nicholaw's direction of said songs.  There are several epic production numbers.  When "A Musical" is performed towards the beginning of the play during which Nostradamus riffs on a variety of popular theatrical moments from Annie to The Music Man to Rent to Avenue Q (to upwards of fifteen more), I didn't think the production could continue conjuring up the epic enthusiasm present in that showstopper.  Fortunately, I was wrong.  Towards the end of the second act, we're given another roof-blowing moment in which Nick's "Omelette - The Musical" is staged and it's possibly even more fun than everything that came before it.  The play nicely mixes some other musical styles into the mix - a little gospel, some rock, quite a bit of tapping - and Nicholaw keeps the whole thing running at a nice pace (although there were a few lulls here and there, particularly towards the end of the first act).

Unfortunately, the musical's book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John O'Farrell doesn't quite match the fun of the show's songs.  Tired jokes about Jews and Puritans and women and homosexuals felt like they were written by folks from the 1960s and come across as sophomoric..  I mean, the uptight Puritans have a repressed homosexuality -- haven't we seen that numerous times before?  I'm all for a bawdy joke and I hate the politically correct society in which we currently live, but these jokes were just weak.  The play's core relationships work, but many of the side characters -- placed in the play specifically for a humorous effect -- wind up falling flat.

The acting, for the most part, was as solid as they come on Broadway.  Rob McClure as Nick Bottom more than held my attention with a nice voice and great comedic timing.  John Grisetti as his brother Nigel played nicely off of McClure and Grisetti's secret romance with Puritan Portia (Jenny Hill) led to one of the night's most surprisingly entertaining production numbers.  Adam Pascal was also amusingly entertaining as the egotistical ladies' man Shakespeare.

Is Something Rotten! the best thing I've ever seen on Broadway?  No.  But it's one of the most enjoyable 150 minutes I've spent in a theater.  As someone with a degree in English (whose final thesis focused on Shakespeare) and a fan of all types of theater, this musical felt tailor-made for me and it more than exceeded my expectations.  Fun all-around and absolutely worth seeing, Something Rotten! is indeed anything but something rotten.

Theater Review - Matilda

Matilda

Music and Lyrics by Tim Minchin

Book by Dennis Kelly

Directed by Matthew Warchus

Where: Sam S. Shubert Theatre, New York, NY

When: Saturday, September 10, 8pm

Expectations were very high when I walked into the Shubert Theatre in New York City to see Matilda, a musical based on a book by Roald Dahl, one of my favorite authors as a kid.  Reviews for the production (which is closing at the end of the year) were very strong upon its opening in April 2013 and I've been itching to see it for quite some time.  Admittedly, it wasn't quite as fantastic as I had hoped -- the problem with going in with such high expectations, I suppose -- but it was still an enjoyable evening at the theater highlighted by what I think are some of the cleverest lyrics I've heard in a Broadway show in some time.

Ultimately, the biggest problem with Matilda is its story in that there isn't much of one throughout the musical's 160-minute runtime.  Our title character (played in rotation by a cast of three young girls -- Ava Briglia at the performance I saw) is a bit of a genius.  With her head always in a book, she's certainly the brightest bulb in the Wormwood family...but that isn't saying much.  Dad (Rick Holmes) is a slimy used car salesman currently caught up in a scheme to sell wrecked cars to the Russian mob and Mom (Lesli Margherita) is an aspiring Latin ballroom dancer -- and neither of them have any time for Matilda.  In fact, as the opening song tells us, Matilda isn't wanted by her parents.  A burden, rather than a blessing, Matilda turned to education for solace from the chaos in the Wormwood household.  Hoping to curb a bit of Matilda's sassiness, the Wormwoods decide to send their daughter to a new school run by a grinch of a woman -- Miss Trunchbull (Bryce Ryness playing in drag) -- whose claim to fame prior to running the school was being a champion Olympic hammer thrower for England.  Rather than embrace education, the Trunchbull instills fear in her students creating an atmosphere of terror which stands in stark contrast to Miss Honey (Jennifer Blood), a fellow teacher at the school whose warm heart and tender nurturing provide the parental support to Matilda that she so desperately needs and deserves.

Sure, that sounds like a decent story, but to me, it's all exposition.  There's very little plot to go around in Dennis Kelly's book for Matilda and as the musical came to its end, I had this feeling of "That's all?"  Granted, in a lesser musical, this may be a bigger problem, but fortunately, Matilda contains some of the most cleverly written songs I've come across thanks to Tim Minchin whose bitingly funny lyrics come at the audience so quickly that I found myself often reacting to his ingenious wordplay in oddly delayed fashion.  Admittedly, the British accents impede some of the cleverness as does the fact that a vast majority of Minchin's work is being sung by kids under the age of 12 whose high-pitched falsetto-esque voices sometimes make some of their singing a bit tough to hear from the stage.  Still, the witty, Roald Dahl-esque lyrics are a true tribute to the musical's source material.

In a show that places young kids front and center for what is likely two-thirds of its runtime, the children in the production must carry a lot of the show's weight and the cast certainly succeeds in that department.  Ava Briglia undeniably holds our attention even when her quiet, subdued Matilda is being bombarded by the quirkier, larger-than-life figures that inhabit her life.  Kudos also to young Evan Gray who nailed my favorite song in the musical - "Revolting Children" - in a showstopping end to the evening.  Rick Holmes and Lesli Margherita as Matilda's parents reveled in their nastiness, making the most of their clever numbers and somehow making their over-the-top characters seem believable.  Bryce Ryness also deserves much credit for exuding an ogreish nastiness in Miss Trunchbull whose favorite saying -- "Children are maggots" -- keys us in to a character who begs for over-exaggeration which Ryness fully takes on.

Matilda is certainly an enjoyable evening at the theater, no doubt about it.  I simply had a case of higher expectations than I probably should have had going into it.  It isn't a perfect musical and, in fact, has a fairly big flaw in the storytelling department in my opinion, but it's cleverly humorous and very much in tone with what I imagine would be Roald Dahl's original intentions.

Theater Review - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time

Written by Simon Stephens

Based on the novel by Mark Haddon

Directed by Marianne Elliott

Where: Ethel Barrymore Theatre, New York, NY

When: Saturday, April 23, 8pm

Full disclosure -- At the end of the first act of The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time, a pivotal plot point is revealed.  I misinterpreted this key plot point due to the improper hearing of a simple preposition earlier in the play (and the fact that the play jumped around a little bit back and forth in time at the beginning) and I felt like the biggest idiot for the remainder of the evening.  This may have led to me harboring a bit of ill will towards this otherwise intriguing Broadway production of a seemingly simplistic story about fifteen year-old Christopher who falls somewhere on the autism spectrum and his quest to uncover the mystery of who brutally killed his neighbor's dog one evening. The story is actually very basic (and, in the end, may have worked better as a 110-minute one act play has opposed to the two-act 150-minute piece it is), but the staging is what makes this play shine.

The set is stark - it's as if we're sitting in a black box theater whose walls are covered in shiny cubes with the corners of each cube containing a light.  These cubes may rise or fall depending on the scene, the lights may brighten or change colors, and, at times, the cubes may seem to disappear into the background as a variety of images are projected onto them.  The minimalistic approach may seem odd seeing as how the story is minimalistic as well, but the uniqueness of the set and its rather stylish ways of changing its appearance enhance the story greatly and rather astutely take us into the mind of the autistic Christopher who sees everything in a very binary way.  Kudos to set designer Bunny Christie, video designer Finn Ross, and lighting designer Paule Constable for creating a visually appealing experience.  Credit is also due to Scott Graham and Steven Hoggett - choreographers for the play.  While there's no "dancing" that we normally associate with choreography, there is exquisite movement on display that I couldn't help but find mesmerizing at times -- it was really fascinating stuff.

(Tyler Lea)

Kudos also to director Marianne Elliott for leading the charge in both the fantastic aforementioned design aspects as well as getting a powerful leading performance from young Tyler Lea making his Broadway debut as Christopher.  (It should be noted that Lea didn't originate the role on Broadway, so I'm unsure if Ms. Elliott actually has any role in shaping his personal performance...it's unknown to me if directors make return trips after the original cast goes away.)  Lea never once leaves the stage and he grippingly holds our attention throughout.  There's a strength to Christopher that we witness right away, but also an aching vulnerability.  When Lea cries out in fear and emotional pain after he is simply touched by another human being, we can't help but feel his discomfort and, presumably, his desire to maybe someday be able to accept the comforting touch of another rather than have his mind tell him that isolation is his friend.  Even from the second to last row in the mezzanine, Lea conveys this and more than captivates.

The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time is a unique experience and unlike anything I've really ever seen before.  While I didn't love it, I'm thrilled I jumped at the chance to see it because I doubt I'll see anything like it again.  Nice job all around to the folks both behind and on the stage of this Tony Award-winning play.

Theater Review - The Book of Mormon

The Book of Mormon

Music, Lyrics, and Book by Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone

Directed by Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker

Where: Eugene O'Neill Theatre, New York, NY

When: Saturday, April 23, 2pm

Hugely popular (although now overshadowed by the mammoth hit that is Hamilton), The Book of Mormon is an incredibly hot ticket in New York City.  I figured eventually I'd get around to seeing it when its allure waned, but I assumed that would still be several years from now.  Fortunately, I was able to snag some tickets to the show for a fantastic price (free!) and I was able to see if all the fuss was truly warranted.  The long story short is that The Book of Mormon is undoubtedly an enjoyable and very funny two-and-a-half hours of theater.  I laughed...a lot...and I was never once bored.  That said, it lacks a little in the music department and since music is a huge part of musical theater it doesn't quite get the raves from me that others have heaped upon it.  Once again, it's still a fun piece, but it doesn't achieve greatness, rather falling in between good and very good on the ratings spectrum.

The premise of The Book of Mormon follows two Latter Day Saint Mormon missionaries as they head out on their first recruitment trip to try and convert people to their religion.  We meet the devout, yet somewhat haughty, Elder Kevin Price (played by Nic Rouleau) who has desperately prayed to be shipped to Orlando for his mission.  Unfortunately, while other new missionaries are sent to locales like France and Japan, Price gets chosen to go to Uganda...which doesn't sit too well with him.  Plus, he's saddled with the nerdy, seemingly unintelligent, and insecure Arnold Cunningham (Christopher John O'Neill) as his partner.  Trying to make the most of it, Price reluctantly starts his journey with Cunningham to Africa only to be told by the town leader (Daniel Breaker) and his daughter Nabulungi (Nikki Renée Daniels) that they won't be converting and Price and Cunningham better watch out for the warlord, General Butt-F***ing Naked, who wreaks havoc on their little village.

Yes...you read that right. General Butt-F***ing Naked.  That's what you get seeing as how The Book of Mormon is created by the minds behind South Park.  This isn't your typical Broadway show when it comes to humor.  It's decidedly R-rated, raunchy, and bawdy...and it's also funny.  Yes, some of the jokes fall flat (like that general's name) and some are too blatantly pushing the envelope, but the laughs keep coming fast enough that if one fails, there's another one right behind it.  Religion is certainly lambasted here and there were times where this church-going blogger found himself a tiny bit shocked, but I'm a little more open to seeing and hearing various attitudes about things -- that said, for those who like things on the tamer side, The Book of Mormon may not be your cup of tea.

(Nic Rouleau, center, as Elder Price)

The cast overall is pretty solid.  Nic Rouleau is just about perfect as the sincere and resolute Elder Price.  His optimistic attitude carries the audience along with him on his journey.  He's a great comedian, but also a stellar singer, shining on his big comedic ballad number "I Believe" which showcases both his ability to garner chuckles while belting out some big notes.  Nikki Renée Daniels brings a gentleness to the proceedings, but also croons with one heckuva voice on her two big numbers.  I'm still up in the air on Christopher John O'Neill's performance.  I wasn't disappointed in the slightest, but there were moments where I felt like there was a little bit of a lack of energy present in the bombastic and quirky character's demeanor.  That said, I've since listened to the cast recording of the show and I appreciate O'Neill's toning down of the character of Elder Cunningham as original portrayer Josh Gad made the character seem mentally challenged based on the recording.

And it's that recording that highlights the biggest problem with The Book of Mormon -- the songs.  None are particularly bad, but in the end, many of them sound too similar to one another, not being afforded the opportunity to really stand out.  Yes, there are a few great moments -- the opening "Hello" starts things off hilariously simple, the aforementioned "I Believe" is a great humorous ballad, "Baptize Me" is a fantastic duet with a crazily raunchy undercurrent -- but too often, the tunes are forgettable.  The ballads all sound too similar, the group numbers sung by the Ugandans sound too similar, the group numbers sung by the Mormons sound too similar -- there's a trend there.  There's a brilliance in those three stand-out numbers that I wish was carried to all the other songs.  Once again, music, lyric, and book writers Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone don't ever fail here, but I can't help but think the potential was there for something greater.  As an example, twice during the show, they name characters particular names just so they can rhyme them with something in a song -- that's a childish cop-out that someone just starting out in the business would do, not someone like Lopez who co-wrote the songs for the uproarious Avenue Q.  Then again, Lopez is the co-creator of the songs from Frozen which I thought were disappointingly ho-hum, so I'm not entirely surprised I was a little disappointed here.  Perhaps this ends up being a score that grows on me over time, however, so we'll see how I feel about it once I'm a few months removed.  Once again, I was never bored during the piece so that's certainly a credit to the songs, but I wanted a little more variety and oomph to some of the numbers.

(A good view of the simplicity of the set)

The Book of Mormon is certainly an enjoyable afternoon or evening at the theater, but I'm a bit surprised at its continued success as it's a show that not only plays up the raunch, but also tends to look like it's been done on the cheap (the costumes aren't particularly overwhelming; the set is very simple).  Or, perhaps rather than "on the cheap," I should say it lacks the "spectacle" Broadway audiences really seem to crave.  Still, The Book of Mormon is full of laughs -- not quite worth the exorbitant price tag of $180 for the cheap seats, but certainly worth a $100 price point if you can somehow find them.

Theater Review - The King and I

The King and I

Music by Richard Rodgers
Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II
Book by Oscar Hammerstein II

Directed by Bartlett Sher

Where: Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont, New York, NY

When:  Saturday, December 26, 2015, 8pm

After the lovely revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific directed by Bartlett Sher at Lincoln Center, The King and I had a lot to live up to seeing as how it's another Rodgers and Hammerstein production also directed by Bartlett Sher and also showing at Lincoln Center.  While it doesn't overtake South Pacific purely based on the book and songs, The King and I is still a charming production, beautifully acted and nicely directed.

Tony winner Kelli O'Hara takes on the role of Anna, a Welsh teacher who travels to Siam to teach the many children of the King played here by Hoon Lee.  The duo of O'Hara and Lee are rather intriguing together -- there's a slight romantic spark between the two coupled with a tension as the authoritarian King attempts to rule over Anna and their quick-worded barbed exchanges are charming.  O'Hara is gloriously at home on the stage with a voice that commands attention in both the most dramatic and comedic of situations.  This is my third time seeing O'Hara onstage and she really is a treat to watch and hear.  Lee is a nice counterpoint, taking on a serious tone, but having a quick wit that makes The King and I much more humorous than I ever expected.

The stand-out moment of the evening for me, however, came from Tony winner Ruthie Ann Miles as Lady Thiang, the King's most "treasured" wife -- you see, he has many women to whom he is betrothed.  When she belts out Rodgers and Hammerstein's rather heartbreakingly written "Something Wonderful," it was the one moment in the show I found myself getting chills.  Kudos to Miles for delivering what I found to be the night's most captivating moment.

Throughout the first act of The King and I -- a musical with which I was completely unfamiliar prior to heading up to NYC -- I found myself rather enthralled by the proceedings with a nice mix of clever songs (a melange of ballads, humorous ditties, and the quintessential "Getting to Know You").  Unfortunately, following the intermission, I felt like the musical didn't hit the right notes.  It's no fault of O'Hara, Lee, or Miles or even director Bartlett Sher, but rather the fault of the musical's book which oddly intersperses some disappointing musical numbers with oddly paced drama.  There's not much there to really grab us and reel us in which is a bit surprising since the first act captivates.

Don't mistake that last paragraph for complete distaste in The King and I.  It's a lovely "old school" Broadway musical certainly earning its "classic" status.  It's just not quite a complete piece to me, but Kelli O'Hara, Hoon Lee, and Ruthie Ann Miles are worth the price of admission.

Theater Review - Once

Once

Book by Enda Walsh

Music by Glen Hansard and Markéta Irglová

Directed by John Tiffany

Where: Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre, New York, NY

When: Thursday, June 5, 7:00pm

I've already written a review of the Broadway production of Once (feel free to read it as a refresher) which I saw over two years ago prior to its Tony-winning success so I'm not going to go into great detail here.  However, I will say that the production now with two new leads -- Paul Alexander Nolan as the unnamed Guy and Joanna Christie as the unnamed Girl -- is just as touching as it was when I first saw it.  Granted, Nolan and Christie bring a slightly different vibe to the proceedings than the Tony-nominated Cristin Milioti and Tony-winning Steve Kazee, but they still bring the film's characters to vivid life.  While it didn't quite have the same impact on me as it did the first time around, Once is still one of the best theatrical experiences I've ever been lucky enough to witness.  Rumor has it that the production is winding down (the mezzanine was less than half full the night I saw it), so get yourself to New York and see this ASAP particularly if you're a fan of the fantastic Glen Hansard-Markéta Irglová Oscar-winning film.

Joanna Christie and Paul Alexander Nolan

A few notes from this viewing (really just for my remembrance purposes):

• The choreography is riveting in its simplicity.  I made mention of this in my original review, but it bears repeating here.  Listed as "Movement" in the playbill, we're not bearing witness to "dancing," but rather emotional reactions to the music that's being sung.  There's a gorgeous moment during the song "Say It to Me Now" in which a quartet of bank clerks describe with grace and sadness the travails of everyday life -- it really got to me this time around.
• The fact that the cast doesn't leave the stage for nearly the entire show and plays all of the music you're hearing is worthy of a standing ovation (although, admittedly, I did not give one to the production this time around...I probably should have, but it just wasn't quite as good as the first time around).  A talented group of people.
• This seemed more humorous this time around.  Cristin Milioti's portrayal of Girl seemed a bit more steeped in melancholy whereas Joanna Christie in this production gave Girl a little more joy.  There's nothing wrong with that and the romance between Guy and Girl is still gut-wrenchingly gorgeous, but it's different.  Similarly, Steve Kazee's Guy felt angrier whereas Paul Alexander Nolan didn't quite have that pent-up pain.  Once again, nothing wrong with this -- just a slightly different interpretation.  I prefer the original performances, but both Christie and Nolan are riveting and completely carry the story without any hardships when it comes to vocals, musicality, or acting.
• The first track on the cd is a fast-paced instrumental overture of the movie's most famous track -- the Oscar-winning "Falling Slowly."  When this instrumental overture wasn't played at the beginning of the play, I got incredibly depressed thinking they'd left out one of my favorite little bits of music.  Little did I know that despite being the opening track on the cd, it comes about two songs into the play.  Needless to say, I was a happy camper when the rousing instrumental piece came up.

Theater Review - Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

Written by Edward Albee

Directed by Pam MacKinnon

Where: Booth Theatre, New York City, NY

When: Wednesday, January 16, 2pm

The liquor is free-flowing in Edward Albee's Pulitzer Prize-winning 1962 play Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf and once the booze settles into their systems, the quartet of characters who make up the cast say many things they'll soon regret.  Much like the recently released film Carnage (and, I'd assume, it's basis the play God of Carnage by Yasmina Reza), Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf puts two outwardly civilized couples into a room only to have them prove just how animalistic they can become when circumstances become unfriendly.

Here, we meet Martha and George (Amy Morton and Tracy Letts), both in their late forties/early fifties, who have probably seen better days in their marriage based off of their initial conversations with each other.  George is a history professor at a New England university while Martha's father is the President of the same school.  After a party honoring new faculty members, Martha invites the twentysomething couple Nick and Honey (Madison Dirks and Carrie Coon) over to their home for a nightcap.  Nick was recently hired in the biology department and Martha wants to get to know them better, much to the chagrin of George who just wants to call it a night.  As the two couples sit and chat, their true personalities -- not the overly friendly facades put on at parties -- begin to surface and words are bandied about that probably should have remained unspoken.  

In a play with just four cast members during which most of the performers never leave the stage for three hours, every member of the quartet needs to be strong and this production certainly succeeds in that department.  Tracy Letts is perhaps best known for his writing including the wonderfully creepy Bug (made into a movie starring Ashley Judd and Michael Shannon) and the critically acclaimed (though incredibly overrated) August: Osage County, but this is my first experience with him as an actor.  His George is outwardly quiet in his Mr. Rogers-style cardigan, but prone to outbursts that increase in more menacing ways as the play progresses.  I will admit that the character took me a bit to get used to (you could tell the simmering anger was just below the surface and you really just wanted it to make an appearance), but by the end, George proves that he's incredibly adept at sneaky manipulation which Letts's tone didn't necessarily suggest at the play's outset.  

Amy Morton's Martha is just as scheming as George, but she never even attempts to hide this quality below the surface.  Instead, Martha here is constantly poking and prodding at her husband, constantly trying to belittle and emasculate him.  And it isn't just her partner whom she twists around under her thumb.  She does the same with their younger guests (as does George) as poor Nick and Honey are forced to join the cruel mind games set forth by the unhappy older couple.

Although the play certainly belongs to Letts and Morton and their vicious tete-a-tetes, Madison Dirks and Carrie Coon absolutely hold their own with Coon in particular making the most of a difficult role that makes her act quite quiet and prudish at the play's beginning, but then shift to a drunken fool as the evening advances.  Playing drunk always runs the risk of coming off seeming fake, but Coon seems to be hilariously accurate in her descent.

While I certainly appreciated the performances from the actors and the dialog from writer Edward Albee (my first experience with this playwright), I found a fundamental flaw after the play concluded that I just couldn't shake.  Why the hell didn't Nick and Honey just walk out the door rather than be berated and essentially used by George and Martha?  There was nothing keeping the younger couple there, so despite there being a bit of an answer given at the play's end as to why they stuck around, I couldn't really buy it.  Still, Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf was great fun.  The three hours absolutely flew by and I found the play still resonates fifty years after it was first presented.

Theater Review - Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

Written by Tennessee Williams

Directed by Rob Ashford

Where: Richard Rodgers Theatre, New York City, NY

When: Wednesday, January 16, 8pm

***It should be noted that this presentation of Cat on a Hot Tin Roof was the show's last preview performance before opening night on Thursday, January 17.  Seeing as how this very show very possibly was the one that many reviewers attend prior to crafting their critiques which are released on opening night, the show was essentially "locked" and set in place.***

There were a lot of reasons I should've liked Broadway's newest production of Tennessee Williams' Cat on a Hot Tin Roof.  Nearly three years ago, I saw Scarlett Johansson in her Tony Award-winning turn in A View from the Bridge and was incredibly impressed with her performance.  Then, two years ago, I had my first experience with a staged production of a Williams work with the University of Delaware Resident Ensemble Players' fantastic take on The Glass Menagerie which, to this date, had one of the most amazing finales of anything I've ever seen before (and since).  And about eighteen months ago, I watched the film version of this very play and I found it enjoyable with a sultry and sexy performance by Elizabeth Taylor.  All of those reasons explain why I should have liked Rob Ashford's production of this oft-performed Williams play (this is the third time it's graced the Great White Way in the past decade).  Unfortunately, I found it a flawed presentation with more than a few issues across all aspects of the production.

Let's start with the character of Maggie portrayed here by Johansson.  Maggie is married to Brick (played here by Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter's Benjamin Walker), but neither of them are happily in love and most of that stems from the fact that Brick is trapped in the past.  His longtime best friend Skipper has died and Brick has turned to alcohol to deal with his passing.  The whole situation isn't all that simple -- there are homosexual undertones (and some blatant overtones) that create some confusion -- but Maggie doesn't help matters here.  I'm not quite sure who's to blame (the director or the actress), but Ms. Johansson's Maggie is a shrill Southern belle.  After she bursts onto the stage at the play's opening with her breathlessly husky voice, rather than exude smoldering sex appeal (although the gorgeous Johansson does that anyway as she wanders around in a slip for most of Act I) Maggie is presented as a shrew I couldn't believe Brick could ever love -- and maybe he never did love her, but I think I'm supposed to believe he could have if he so desired.  She's a cat -- on a hot tin roof -- and the slinkiness associated with the feline members of the animal kingdom isn't present at all.  Maggie here is a completely unlikeable character -- and since there's been a decision to tone down the sultriness of Liz Taylor's take on the character in the movie (which, admittedly, is my only exposure to this character), you can't even get behind the concept of Maggie as a minx-type figure who won people over due to sex appeal.  Although there's some redemption for Johansson and her character in Act III, she's pretty much simply playing things with one overly strong and forceful note with very few changes in tone.

While I may have problems with Johansson's and the director's choices for Maggie, I had even bigger issues with Benjamin Walker as Brick.  While looking over my review of the film version, I commented that the character of Brick a one-note crotchety grump and I wondered how the role would play in someone else's hands.  Well, Walker's Brick makes Newman's look like Olivier's Hamlet.  There was zero stage presence emanating from Walker and while I admit that may have something to do with pitting him up onstage against the stunning Johansson, I just didn't find the guy remotely interesting.  Granted, he has very little to do in Act I, but as the next two acts unfold and the play becomes much more about Brick than Maggie, Walker still failed to reel me in and it's in those moments during which the audience begins to see the reasons Brick's life has spiraled so precipitously downward that should have registered most strongly.  It doesn't help at all that there is zero chemistry between the two leads, further complicating the fact that I have no idea what exactly the relationship between Maggie and Brick is supposed to be.  

Anyone familiar with the play or movie is well aware that the characters of Big Daddy and Big Momma are the histrionic epitome of mid-twentieth century rich Southern folk, but here they achieve mixed results.  Debra Monk comes off the best of any actor in the production with her Big Momma having the only moving moment of the night in Act III when she is forced to face the truth about her husband and his deteriorating health.  Ciarán Hinds' Big Daddy, however, has less success.  While there's certainly a caricaturish-type quality that comes along with the character, Hinds simply takes that to mean "bombastic" as he yells most of his lines...and anything that wasn't screamed was nearly incomprehensible thanks to a sound system that didn't really do any of the actors any favors.  

[It certainly doesn't aid things that the Richard Rodgers theater is fairly massive.  When I walked into the theater I was shocked that a play was being performed here.  Although the set design was rather striking, I couldn't help but think that this may have worked a little bit better on a smaller stage (although with this production, I'm not quite sure anything would've helped things).]

In Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Brick has a brother named Gooper (played here by Michael Park) who is married to Mae (Emily Bergl).  Together they have five children with a sixth on the way and they are supposed to be despised by Big Daddy and Brick because of their money-grubbing tendencies.  You know this play's in the weeds when Gooper and Mae are your most sympathetic characters whom you're hoping win their battle against Maggie and Brick in getting Big Daddy's estate in his will.  Brick is the "Chosen One" of the two brothers, but in this production, I found myself rooting for Gooper to become loved by Big Daddy and was not ever given a clear idea as to why Big Daddy would fawn over Brick rather than Gooper.  To me, this is indicative of this production's issues and the failure of director Rob Ashford.  I recognize that Maggie and Brick are maybe not supposed to be the most likable of characters, but I think there has to be a desire to see Maggie sway Brick off the bottle and into her arms, as well as for Brick to overcome his addictions and forgive himself for the way he treated his deceased friend Skipper in their final days.  Unfortunately, the audience finds itself having no vested interest in these characters which causes the whole production to just sink under the weight of Tennessee Williams' melodrama.

Theater Review - The Mystery of Edwin Drood

The Mystery of Edwin Drood

Music, Lyrics, and Book by Rupert Holmes

Directed by Scott Ellis

Where: Studio 54, New York, NY

When: Saturday, December 29, 2pm

Back in lower and middle school I was fascinated with a series of books called "Choose Your Own Adventures."  You'd get to the end of a page and have either two or three choices telling you to turn to a certain page, allowing you to determine the outcome of the book.  The Mystery of Edwin Drood playing in Broadway's Studio 54 theater is a "Choose Your Own Adventure" brought to real life.  Unfortunately, despite the amusing aspect of the audience being able to choose multiple facets of the story for the actors to perform on the spot, a musical without great music is a bit of a bummer and that's the case here.

Charles Dickens' last novel was a murder mystery revolving around the death of a man named Edwin Drood, but the author died before he was able to finish his work.  The play's book writer Rupert Holmes took this concept of an unfinished novel and ran with it, creating a musical set in a late 19th century music hall in England with a troupe of actors taking on the roles.  During Act I, we meet Edwin Drood (played by female Stephanie J. Block as the troupe didn't have enough talented males to take on the role presumably) and discover that multiple people have reason to kill him.  As Act II rolls around, the play comes to a stop at the exact point that Mr. Dickens failed to pick up his pen again and the troupe turns to the audience to determine Drood's killer, the person who will take on the role of the detective who will solve the case, and two lovers (simply because all plays must end on an up note and what's more pleasant than love).

This audience participation aspect is admittedly enjoyable...but the rest of the show, not so much.  I can deal with the notion that this being set in a rowdy 1895 London music hall and that the story would be told in a straight-foward, tongue-in-cheek, and comedic manner in order to appeal to the masses at that time.  I totally understand that premise and can get behind that.  The fault isn't in the story, but rather in the music.  There's really not a memorable song among the bunch and the songs really do nothing to advance the plot.  Actors aren't given "wow" moments, but they aren't given nice reflective moments either.  With no showstoppers or purposeful plot-driven songs, the whole thing fell flat.  

The actors were okay, but I think the play itself just fails them from being able to give memorable performances.  I don't really know anything about her except that she's a "theater legend" for winning multiple Tonys, but it was nice to see nearly eighty year-old Chita Rivera onstage still performing her heart out eight shows a week.  Will Chase, who recently appeared on NBC's Smash, probably had the best role in terms of making an impact by song and he can belt a tune quite well.

It certainly doesn't help that the sound system made some of the singing nearly indecipherable (although some of that fault lies with the performers as well, particularly Jessie Mueller who as the Egyptian Helena Landless was incomprehensible...which is why it was even more of a shame when she was voted the murderer by our audience).  Still, The Mystery of Edwin Drood simply didn't work for me.  It's been well-received in NYC getting some of the best reviews of the season, but it proved to be a disappointment.  

Theatre Review - War Horse

War Horse

Adapted by Nick Stafford

Directed by Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris

Where: Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont, New York, NY

When: Saturday, December 29, 8pm

I was not a fan at all of the film version of War Horse, so I'm not quite sure what possessed me to even think about seeing War Horse on the Broadway stage.  Admittedly, the five 2011 Tony wins (including Best Play) had something to do with venturing to see it as did the uniqueness of the puppetry aspect of the production (as did the relatively cheap $50 seats).  I probably should have known better.  This thing is loved by many -- heck it's been running since April 14, 2011 -- but you can't overcome a story that just doesn't connect with you and War Horse definitely doesn't do a thing for me.

Maybe it's because I grew up in a pet-less family, but I've never felt a real strong connection to animals.  Call me callous, but I never want a pet.  It's too much hassle and too much money to spend on a non-human entity.  Therefore, I find it really difficult to understand the emotional connection teenage Albert Narracott has with his newly bought horse Joey (brought to life in puppet form by Hunter Canning, Brian Lee Hunyh, and Hannah Sloat as a foal, and by Leah Hoffman, Tom Lee, and Isaac Woofter when full-grown).  As Joey gets sold to the army by Albert's father in order to aid the British in WWI, I had no emotional reaction...and I think I was supposed to.  As the horse goes through trials of its own during the war, I simply didn't give a damn when it got caught in barbed wire, as an example.  Ultimately, this lack of emotional connection with the story just doesn't permit me to become involved in this tale in a way that I think is absolutely necessary in order to enjoy this piece of theater.

Visually, the stage at the Lincoln Center Theater at the Vivian Beaumont was sparse which allowed for the exquisite puppetry work to really stand out.  The horses were neat and were surprisingly lifelike in their movements.  Unfortunately, the humans playing humans in the cast sometimes left a bit to be desired, particularly Andrew Durand who plays Albert.  I couldn't help but think of Pinky from Pinky and the Brain whenever he spoke and I wanted his whiny British voice to yell "Narf!" at some point just to keep me awake.

And keeping me awake was difficult in this one.  I've never faded in a live Broadway show before...until now.  Granted, it was at the end of a long day of walking through the city and I'd just had a heavy, though delicious, meal at a nice Brazilian restaurant named Brasilina in Hell's Kitchen, but I kept closing my eyes and not wanting to open them back up throughout this one.  I never actually went to sleep, but as I sat in the last row of the theater (which had no detrimental effect on the experience as I don't think there's a bad seat in the house in this theater), I could've drifted away so easily.

War Horse is closing up shop on January 6, so if there's any desire on your part to see it on Broadway, you've got very little time left.  I'm not sure why you'd want to subject yourself to it, but if you're a glutton for punishment, it's there for you.

Theater Review - Nice Work If You Can Get It

Nice Work If You Can Get It

Music and Lyrics by George Gershwin and Ira Gershwin

Book by Joe DiPietro

Directed by Kathleen Marshall

Where: Imperial Theatre, New York City, NY

When:  September 5, 2012, 8pm

Were I thirty years older, I may have been laughing as hard as the lady behind me, but seeing as how I am not yet sixty, Nice Work If You Can Get It is, to me, a tired Broadway trifle that shoehorns some lovely George and Ira Gershwin tunes into a story that is unworthy of their presence.  Songs in a musical exist as an extension of a character's personality or a way of furthering plot, but they absolutely must relate in some way to the overarching story.  Here, we get none of that with playwright Joe DiPietro simply tossing in classics like the title number, "Someone to Watch Over Me," "Let's Call the Whole Thing Off," or "S'Wonderful" seemingly at random, failing to have these oftentimes emotion-filled songs create any meaningful impact on the plot.  Ultimately, this dooms the musical and is where Nice Work falters the most.

The plot is a throwaway, but I appreciate the homage to 1930s movies/radio shows/Broadway that it strives to achieve.  Multi-millionaire playboy Jimmy Winter (Matthew Broderick...more on him later) is about to be married for the fourth time -- this time to impressionistic dancer Eileen Evergreen (Jennifer Laura Thompson).  After a drunken binge one evening in a speakeasy (for, you see, we are in the Prohibition Era), he runs into Billie Bendix (Kelli O'Hara...more on her later as well), a bootlegger who wears pants and a cap (which lets us know she's tough as nails with a likely heart of gold to match) to whom he reveals that he's really only marrying Eileen because it will make him look responsible to his mother who will then bequeath him the extensive family fortune.  While he tells his story, Jimmy reveals to Billie that he owns a huge mansion in Long Island that he rarely uses and Billie sees this as the perfect location to store her crew's supply of illegal booze from the police.  In the play's next two hours, we get multiple cases of mistaken identity, several instances of awkwardly newfound romance, and a few dance numbers thrown at us all of which are pleasant, but not quite enough to sustain the running time especially since the songs don't do a darn thing to forward the plot.

In fact, the songs that are the most successful end up being the throwaway numbers which utilize some of the lesser known songs in the Gershwins' catalog.  When the hoity-toity Eileen lounges in a bathtub and begins singing about how "Delishious" she is, a bevy of bathing beauties climb out of the same tub to dance with her and extol her great virtues -- a truly creative moment and one of the few successful times that a song tells us exactly what it needs to in regards to a character.  Or take Act II's "Looking for a Boy" sung by Duchess Estonia Dulworth (Judy Kaye) who, heretofore, has been the very definition of uppity, pompous, and prim.   When she unknowingly becomes intoxicated, the typically bluesy (and perhaps sultry) Gershwin number becomes a literal "swinging from the chandelier" moment that is a true showstopper and the obvious moment that single-handedly won Ms. Kaye this year's Best Supporting Actress Tony.

But the problem is that when the musical's main characters deign to burst into song, their numbers never hit home in the way they do for the secondary characters.  It's not Matthew Broderick or Kelli O'Hara's fault either, both of whom I couldn't help but think were truly enjoying their time spent onstage together.  Although neither were given the best plotlines, they both seemed to be be having a ball during their scenes together despite performing eight times a week.  Unfortunately, this evident genial rapport doesn't really translate to chemistry which I think is more a fault of their characters than the actors themselves.

I've seen Ms. O'Hara before in the wonderful South Pacific (which has greatly improved in my memory as time passes) and she has a lovely voice that simply isn't showcased to its best effect here.  She has a few nice numbers -- particularly when she's permitted to let her comedic side show like in the hilarious bedroom romp "Treat Me Rough" -- but her character of Billie simply doesn't have any substance for her to latch onto.  Similarly, Broderick's playboy character is one-note and the actor decides to play him with an oddly side-mouthed almost-lisp which faded in and out when he saw fit.  Despite that annoying tic, I had read several reviews that said the actor seemed to be phoning this role in, and while he certainly wasn't a revelation, he is serviceable in the part with an adequate voice (that worked well with the old standards that don't require a ton of belting to be successful) and a naturalness to his dancing that, while not well honed, was oddly pleasant to watch.  [Funnily enough, I was kind of reminded when watching Broderick of my long-ago high school production of Bye Bye Birdie...like me, Broderick was having fun, but likely realized he's not the best singer and dancer in the land.]

However, in the end, this musical is just an excuse to wrap some semblance of a story around a group of Gershwin songs.  There's no substance to the plot or heft to the characters.  Everyone simply trudges along to the show's inevitable ending which will undoubtedly lead to a standing ovation from the crowd.  [...Which is another irksome quality of theater nowadays -- I'm all for applauding at the end of a show even if you didn't care for it just to show respect to the actors, but not every single production deserves a standing ovation....You're diluting what a standing O really should stand for...End of Soapbox Rant...]  Nice Work If You Can Get It is pleasant, but it's simply not very good and "pleasant" just doesn't cut it when you're shelling out money to see a Broadway production.

Theater Review - Peter and the Starcatcher

Peter and the Starcatcher

Written by Rick Elise

Directed by Roger Rees and Alex Timbers

Where: Brooks Atkinson Theater, New York City, NY

When: Wednesday, September 5, 2pm

There is something revelatory and invigorating in watching the troupe of twelve actors in Broadway's Peter and Starcatcher tell a story.  We feel as if we've been transported back in time and are witnessing storytelling in its most basic form.  With some ropes, a pineapple, two small model ships, and very few other props, a prequel to J.M. Barrie's beloved classic Peter Pan is acted out in front of our very eyes and done so in such a manner that, with the exception of some brilliant lighting techniques, could have been done centuries ago.  Yet, there is a freshness and wonderful sense of ingenuity that feels more unique and exciting than some of the technological advances that currently grace the Broadway stage (I'm looking at you, Spiderman: Turn Off the Dark).

As our tale begins, we meet young teen Molly (played quite believably by twenty-something Celia Keenan-Bolger) and her father Lord Aster (Rick Holmes) as they embark on a sailing trip for Her Royal Majesty Queen Victoria.  Their job: deposit a chest filled with an secret, powerful item into the deep blue sea -- a place no one can ever access it.  Through a series of unfortunate events, Molly and her father find themselves on separate ships both of which harbor folks who will do all that they can to get their hands on this secret case, including the infamous pirate Black Stache (Matthew Saldívar).  Along the way, Molly meets three orphaned boys who attempt to help her both reunite with her father and prevent the Queen's cargo from being confiscated.

While Act I of Peter and the Starcatcher takes place on ships, Act II shifts to the tropical island of Rundoon, and despite the set utilizing minimal backdrops and, as mentioned above, very little props, you are always well aware of where you are in the story and what is going on.  The actors rely on sounds, lighting, and props such as ropes in order to convey everything that we need to know.  Humans become actual doors that are opened/pushed aside to reveal strange goings-on inside the rooms of the pirate ship.  Ropes are manipulated to become the small confines of a cramped chamber that houses both Molly and her nanny, Mrs. Bumbrake (Arnie Burton).  These ingenious techniques may not sound like much on paper and they are, in fact, very difficult to describe, but they work so fluidly and effortlessly and they convey exactly what they need to in order to make the show work.

Of course, part of the reason for the success is the brilliance of the acting ensemble.  Not only must they act out their roles, but they are essentially putting on a well-choreographed quickstep every night the likes of which you rarely see on a stage.  Celia Keenan-Bolger's Molly is perhaps the figure around which the story revolves and as the lone female in the group, she doesn't let the boys upstage her, blending in perfectly with the cast.  She's the perfect amount of precociousness, intelligence and wide-eyed wonder combining to create a wonderful character who is a pleasure to follow on her journey.

While Molly is very much the key figure of Act I, Act II shifts focus to one of the orphaned "lost" boys who, until this second act has remained nameless.  However, as Act II unfurls, Boy picks up the name of Peter and we slowly see this solemn boy's transformation into J.M. Barrie's most famous character.  Peter is played by Adam Chanler-Berat and, rather surprisingly, he's the weak link in both the story and the cast.  Chandler-Berat's Peter is quiet, subdued, and oddly wimpy -- nothing like the outwardly joyful and boisterous Pan we're used to seeing.  Granted, I understand this is the backstory that made Peter into the "Boy Who Never Wants to Grow Up," but he's so morose here that the character is too much of a downer amidst the whimsy elsewhere.  I'm sure Chanler-Berat is simply playing this dull character the way it was written, but his too-quiet line deliveries coupled with his oddly depressing interpretation make Act II a tiny bit of a letdown.  I understand that Boy's transformation into Peter is the emotional crux of the story and his journey from an abused orphan to ebullient youth is where the playwright roots the play's heart, but this solemn plotline stands in such strong contrast to the rest of the play (including an uproarious Act II opening song featuring the cast as mermaids) that it almost comes as too much of a shock to the system to deliver the full impact likely meant by the author.

I realize that the whole previous paragraph comes off as quite a disappointment, but the play overall is a joyous treat to watch.  And, shockingly, I've gone through this entire review only once mentioning the play's over-the-top and scenery-chewing villain -- Black Stache.  Played by Matthew Saldívar with gusto, the precursor to Captain Hook is, as one of my fellow theatergoers mentioned, Monty Python-esque in its sheer absurdity, yet the playwright and director manage to make this larger-than-life character mesh incredibly well with the rest of the cast.

Peter and the Starcatcher truly is a thrillingly "low-budget" piece of theater that really makes you appreciate what a talented group of actors and an incredibly adept director can do with very little other than their natural innate talents.  Mixing humor, drama, and a few cleverly placed original songs (which I failed to mention other than in passing, but added quite a bit to the affair), there is a reason this was the most Tony-nominated American play ever and its five Tony wins were likely well deserved.