Follow Spot http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/ Follow Spot by Michael Portantiere en Copyright 2010 Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:55:45 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss This Year's Rent This Year's Rent Some shows absolutely require mega-watts of youthful energy, and Rent is definitely one of them. If you'd like to see Jonathan Larson's beloved rock opera performed by a super-talented cast whose average age is somewhere around 20, get yourself to New Jersey Performing Arts Center in Newark, where the NJPAC/New Jersey Youth Theatre production of the show is on view from July 16 through 25. Featured here in my photos of the dress rehearsal are Joe Tolentino as Roger (he's actually the understudy/alternate for Shayne Kennon), Chelsea Cortes as Mimi, Mike Zimmerman as Mark, Lauren Campbell as Maureen, Te La Curtis-Lee as Joanne, J. Aaron Boykin as Tom Collins, M.J. Rodriguez as Angel, Derrick Hicks as Benny, and the rest of the company. For more information on the show, visit www.njpac.org. ********************

]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/07/this_years_rent.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/07/this_years_rent.shtml Thu, 15 Jul 2010 23:55:45 -0500 Presidential Material

Presidential Material

Mr. President had one of the largest advance sales in Broadway history -- no surprise, since it was announced that the show would have a new score by the legendary Irving Berlin. The idea that the composer who had written such essential pieces of musical Americana as "Alexander's Ragtime Band," "White Christmas," "Easter Parade," "God Bless America" and the Broadway hits Annie Get Your Gun and Call Me Madam would be musicalizing the Presidency was catnip for ticket buyers -- not to mention the fact that the show's book writers were Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, whose previous hits included Life With Father (still Broadway's long-run champ among straight plays) and a little tuner called The Sound of Music. So, yes, expectations were through the roof as Mr. President opened at the St. James Theater on October 20, 1962, starring Robert Ryan, Nanette Fabray, and Anita Gillette. But the reviews were not good, the advance dwindled, and the show closed after a run of only 265 performances. Save for Forbidden Broadway-meister Gerard Alessandrini's extensively rewritten, Bush-era takeoff version, which had a brief run Off-Broadway in 2001, it has never resurfaced in NYC and has rarely if ever been done elsewhere -- until now. You can see the show in its original form in a one-night-only staged concert presentation on Sunday, July 18 at 8pm in the Mainstage Theatre (at Playwrights Horizons), 416 West 42nd Street. This is the maiden voyage of a new company called Theatrical Gems, founded by Jacob Shoesmith-Fox, Claudia Stuart, and Jonathan Galvez. Like several other NYC concerns, the group exists to revive underappreciated musicals through its "Lost Gems" series, though it also has plans to produce new works. How was Mr. President, of all shows, chosen for the company's initial project? Says artistic director Jacob, "I was given the cast recording on cassette tape about five years ago, as part of a big box of about 70 cast albums that I got from a family friend, and I fell in love with the score. When we first started talking about doing older shows that haven't had a life after their original Broadway productions, Mr. President immediately came to mind. I had never heard of the show before I got the tape, and I thought this score needed to be heard again." Asked why he thinks Mr. President fizzled the first time out, Jacob says, "Maybe because it isn't about the Kennedys and the Camelot era, which people were so excited about. In this show, we see a President during his last few months in office and as he begins his retirement; he's tired of dealing with politics and losing so many battles. I guess audiences back then weren't interested in that kind of thing. But today, some of the show seems so timely -- especially the final scene, which is all about partisan politics. It's been amazing for us to revisit this forgotten musical." The cast of the "Lost Gems" production is headed Larry Daggett as POTUS and Kimberly Faye Greenberg as his wife (see photo above), with Erin Mackey as their daughter and Spencer Andrew Taylor as their son. Also featured in the 24-member company are Chuck Karel and Joy Hermalyn. Jacob is directing the show, and Steven H. Taylor is musical director. Mr. President is a benefit for The Actors' Fund. "Part of our mission statement is to support organizations that help the theater industry," says Jacob. "The Actors' Fund is a wonderful organization that does so much for the community." For more information, visit theatricalgems.org.]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/07/presidential_material.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/07/presidential_material.shtml Tue, 13 Jul 2010 10:51:00 -0500 Hardy Boy

Hardy Boy

The last time America at large saw Austin Miller, he was putting it all out there on the TV talent contest Grease: You're the One That I Want, trying to snare the role of Danny Zuko in the second Broadway revival of everybody's favorite '50s pastiche musical. Our hero had survived many weeks of eliminations, and now it was down to him and one other contestant, Max Crumm... As it turned out, Austin didn't get the part -- which seemed a bummer at the time but now looks more like a blessing in disguise, as that production of Grease was one of the most unfortunate revivals ever to hit the stage. At any rate, Austin was able to display to the world the triple-threat talent and golden-boy looks that have made him eminently castable in young leading man roles. (To cite only two of his many credits, he did a bang-up job as Link Larkin in Hairspray on tour and in Las Vegas, and he gained lots of fans during his stint as "Hawk" on Days of Our Lives). Since the Grease ordeal, he has been working steadily. And now he's about to open at the John W. Engeman Theater in Northport, L.I. in one of his dream roles: Joe Hardy in Damn Yankees, opposite Felicia Finley as Lola and André De Shields as Applegate (see rehearsal photo below). Austin and I talked over coffee at Starbucks recently, during his final week of involvement with his previous project. ******************** BROADWAYSTARS: Joe Hardy sounds like a great part for you, and everybody loves a good production of Damn Yankees. You must be so excited. AUSTIN MILLER: Yes! We're doing the original, not the 1994 version. I kind of prefer the original. It's a simpler story, the devil is more human... STARS: ...and you get to sing "Two Lost Souls." AUSTIN: I think that number is going to be awesome, because Felicia and I are both dancers, and there are bars and bars of dance music in it. STARS: So you'll be doing considerably more dancing than Tab Hunter does in the film? AUSTIN: Yes. I can't wait. I've never worked with Felicia before, but I love her. STARS: You've been keeping very busy over the past few years. Tell me about this show Trip of Love that you did in Japan. AUSTIN: It's kind of like Alice Through the Looking Glass with a catalog of #1 songs from the '60s, and the narrative is woven into the songs. This girl goes to an alternate universe and has to learn lessons about love. I'm her romantic counterpart, and I get mowed down by rifle fire in Vietnam. She's heartbroken, but she goes back to her life having learned whatever it is she was supposed to learn. The producers did a lot of advertising here; we had the back page of Playbill for a couple of months while we were overseas. STARS: Why were they advertising in Playbill? AUSTIN: They were hoping to bring it in to New York -- like everything else -- and I guess they were trying to create a buzz by dangling the carrot. We were all excited: "Look, we're comin' in!" It obviously didn't happen, but the show isn't dead yet. I had a meeting with the producers a couple of months ago. STARS: You're well into rehearsals for Damn Yankees, but you're also finishing up a run in Sophisticated Ladies at Arena Stage in D.C. So, I'm wondering... AUSTIN: How can I do two things in two different cities at the same time? Sophisticated Ladies was extended three times, but during the extension period we only have six shows a week, and my cover is doing some of the performances. STARS: What else have you been up to lately? AUSTIN: Last year, I did Joseph [and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat} at the Arkansas Rep for a long stint, and I did 42nd Street at Goodspeed and on tour. I didn't sleep in my own bed at all last year. I was supposed to go into Joseph in London, but then the show closed. I was really upset, because that's another one of my dream roles, so I glad to get to do it in Little Rock. STARS: What is it about the role of Joe Hardy that you like so much? AUSTIN: I think there's something really cool about playing someone who's sort of magical and who gets the opportunity to fulfill his wildest, craziest dream, to turn back the hands of time and have all these amazing abilities. But at heart, Damn Yankees is really a very tender lover story between Joe and his wife, Meg. STARS: Did you see the revisal with Bebe Neuwirth and Victor Garber? AUSTIN: No, the first Broadway show I saw was Sunset Boulevard with Elaine Paige. She was great. I love Andrew Lloyd Webber's music, and I love that show. Joe Gillis is another part that's on my wish list. STARS: You love that show? Really? AUSTIN: Yeah! I don't know why, but I do. I probably know every note of that stupid score.

STARS: Back to Damn Yankees: What do you think of this plan to do a movie remake with Jake Gyllenhaal as Joe and Jim Carrey as Applegate? AUSTIN: Umm, I don't know. Movie musicals are either so right or SO wrong. There doesn't seem to be a gray area. They're either wonderful or they're horrifying to watch. STARS: They're talking about updating the action to the present day and doing all sorts of rewrites. AUSTIN: Damn Yankees is what it is. It's set in Washington, D.C., and the action takes place about 10 years after the end of World War II. It's a really specific time and place, and it's an intrinsically American story -- this guy sitting on his couch, watching sports and wanting to be a star athlete. I think the show is best left as it is. STARS: I can't let you go without asking your take on the whole Grease experience. AUSTIN: It was weird. Right afterwards, I was upset, but I've gotten over myself a little bit. STARS: I know you've said you felt the role of Danny belonged to Derek Keeling, who was eliminated early on but who went on to replace Max Crumm on Broadway. AUSTIN: Yes. I still feel that way. STARS: Given your love of Andrew Lloyd Webber's work, it must have been a trip for you to perform for him when he was a guest judge. AUSTIN: Well...I think I frightened him. Straight out of the gate, I was a little too worshipful. I remember telling him, "Omigod, you don't know how you've affected my entire life, and my sister's! She knows every word of Aspects of Love! Can we call her on the phone?! Can you say hi to her?!!" I made a total jackass of myself. But since that whole experience, a lot of really satisfying things have happened in my career. Things are good. [For more information on Damn Yankees, at the Engeman click here] ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/07/hardy_boy.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/07/hardy_boy.shtml Sun, 04 Jul 2010 22:21:16 -0500 High School Stars High School Stars You might say it was a glee fest at the Marquis Theater last evening, as 44 of the most talented young performers from around the country competed in the second annual National High School Musical Theater Awards. At the end of the show, a panel of celebrity judges including Scott Ellis, Montego Glover, Bernie Telsey, and others chose two super-talents to receive this year's "Jimmy" Award, named after James M. Nederlander, scion of the famed theatrical dynasty that established the awards in collaboration with Pittsburgh CLO. Here are my pix of this awesome event, which was hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Tommy Tune. *********************

The fabulous opening number showcased all 44 contestants, giving more than a hint of the talent on display.

The bulk of the evening consisted of these amazing young men and women recreating moments from the performances that had earned them the title of "Best Actor" or "Best Actress" in regional competitions. Front and center in this photo is Katie Finan (Miss Sherman, Fame).

Matt Hill (Freddy Benson, Dirty Rotten Scoundrels).

Christian Paris (Fred Graham/Petruchio, Kiss Me, Kate).

Elgin Giles (Sky Masterson, Guys and Dolls).

Alex Field (Tin Man, The Wiz).

Katie Oxman (The Chairwoman, The Mystery of Edwin Drood).

Cooper Rowe (Ren, Footloose).

Andrew Gallop as Peter Pan's Captain Hook confronting Prentiss Mouton as Reverend Shaw from Footloose.

Katie Sapper as Audrey in Little Shop of Horrors.

Rob Gerrold as -- you guessed it -- the title characters in Jekyll and Hyde.

At the end of the ceremony, James L. Nederlander presented Jimmy Awards to Alexandria Payne, who earned an ovation for her performance of "Your Daddy's Son" from Ragtime, and Kyle Selig, who killed with "The Streets of Dublin" from A Man of No Importance. For more information on the National High School Musical Theatre Awards, visit nhsmta.com. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/high_school_stars.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/high_school_stars.shtml Tue, 29 Jun 2010 08:54:01 -0500 Falling in Love Again

Falling in Love Again

The thing about promises is that if you keep the important ones, you'll probably be forgiven for breaking the little ones. Though the new Broadway production of the Burt Bacharach-Hal David-Neil Simon musical Promises, Promises and its cast recording are not perfect, whatever relatively minor flaws exist are easy to overlook in light of the overall achievement. For those of you who are unfamiliar with Promises, it's based on the film The Apartment and is set in the 1960s -- a time when the idea of high-powered business execs cheating on their wives and sleeping with their co-workers could be treated comically (in the case of the secondary characters) as well as seriously (in regard to the leads). I've always thought the musical might be retitled How to Succeed in Business By Lending Your Apartment to Higher-Ups in Your Company So They'll Have a Place to Screw Their Mistresses. By current standards of sexual politics, it's all rather unseemly, but it ultimately works because we do get to see the unfortunate consequences of such behavior. As heard at the Broadway Theatre and on the new CD available from Sony Masterworks Broadway, Sean Hayes does a stellar job with the songs that Bacharach and David wrote for the central character, C.C. "Chuck" Baxter. Hayes's voice has a quick, tight vibrato (I believe "lamb's bleat" is the common term) that might take a little getting used to for some listeners but is really quite pleasant and very musical. As Chuck's beloved, Fran Kubelik, Kristin Chenoweth is somewhat miscast in terms of age and type, but that doesn't come across on the recording. What we get here are wonderfully soulful renditions of "Knowing When to Leave," "Whoever You Are," and several other songs, including two interpolations (see below). Tony Goldwyn is spot-on as J.D. Sheldrake, the executive with whom Fran is carrying on an affair. Not previously known for musical roles, he sings with inflections that call to mind the mid-career Frank Sinatra, a good role model for this character. Tony Award winner Katie Finneran is a riot as the soused and horny Marge MacDougall, whose attempt to pick up our friend Chuck in a bar -- in the course of the tipsily delightful number "A Fact Can Be a Beautiful Thing" -- doesn't turn out as she had hoped. Brooks Ashmankas, Sean Martin Hingston, Ken Land, and Peter Benson as four philandering executives make a strong case for the sort of funny but also kind of creepy "Where Can You Take a Girl?" Hearing the score again, I was struck by the fact that Bacharach's music is far superior to David's lyrics. From the thrilling overture through the unforgettable title song, Bacharach fills our ears with delicious melodies, harmonies, and rhythms, whereas David's work is often pedestrian, clumsy, and overly repetitious. One example: In "Wanting Things," David has Sheldrake sing, "When will I learn to resist wanting things, touching things that say 'do, do not touch.'" You see, he needed to fill an extra beat of music; but instead of giving the matter a few moments' thought and coming up with "touching things, things that say 'do not touch,'" or maybe "touching things that say 'please do not touch,'" he nonsensically repeated the word "do" and gave us doo-doo. The show is still a winner on the whole because the music and the book are pretty great and because David sometimes managed to rise to the occasion, as in the two most famous numbers from the score: "I'll Never Fall in Love Again" and the title song. But I can't help wondering how much better Promises would be if Bacharach had collaborated with a skilled Broadway lyricist rather than sticking with his pop song writing partner, who was not quite up to the task. As is the case with the production itself, the most controversial element of the cast recording is the inclusion of two Bacharach/David pop hits, "I Say a Little Prayer" and "A House Is Not a Home," to beef up the score and, in particular, the underwritten role of Fran Kubelik. Neither songs really works in the context of the show when you see the production, and the latter of the two is wholly inappropriate because the situation it describes has nothing to do with Fran and Sheldrake, who don't live together. (In fact, that's a major point of her frustration.) But I'm gonna go out on a limb and say that adding "I Say a Little Prayer" was not in itself a bad idea, because it does serve the valuable purpose of giving Fran a musical moment in which she's happy -- or, at least, thinks she's happy. It also points up her obsession with Sheldrake and neatly foreshadows the end of their relationship ("To live without you would only mean heartbreak for me"). A little more work should have been done to seamlessly insert the song into the show; as is, it doesn't function well in context because there's no emotional transition to Fran's first big scene with her paramour, where she's terribly hurt and frustrated over the affair. But this isn't an issue on the recording, so one can sit back and enjoy Chenoweth's scintillating performance with spiffy female-ensemble backing. Phil Reno conducts an exciting performance that features Jonathan Tunick's own savvy revisions of his original orchestrations, complete with those fabulous '60s "orchestra voices." I personally prefer the original version of the overture, but this one is not bad -- and what matters most is that those first few, thrilling bars are intact. Overall, Sony's new recording of this groundbreaking score is a winner. P.S. If you're waiting for some label to release the original London cast recording of Promises, starring Tony Roberts and Betty Buckley, don't hold your breath. Apparently, there are major licensing problems. Too bad, because while that album has its own set of flaws, it also has its pluses, and it's a better-mixed recording of Jonathan Tunick's original orchestrations than the OBC. P.P.S. If you want to check out something really exotic but quite wonderful, try to get your hands on the 2002 Italian cast recording of Promises, Promises -- pardon me, Promesse, Promesse. A friend gave me a copy of the disc with no accompanying booklet, so I can't give you the names of the cast or anyone else involved. But it's a fabulous performance of the score with a charming Chuck, a lovely Fran, and a nifty adaptation of the Tunick orchestrations. (I have no idea if he did the job himself.) Viva Italia! P.P.P.S. If you don't already own the OBC, now is an excellent time to purchase it: Kritzerland is coming out with a new two-disc set that contains the album as originally mixed plus a remixed version which, we are promised (!), corrects the often pitchy singing of several of the principals. (Apparently, it was a rough recording session.) My suggestion is, pounce. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/falling_in_love_again.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/falling_in_love_again.shtml Mon, 21 Jun 2010 08:32:59 -0500 A Meeting of the 'mos (and Their Friends)

A Meeting of the 'mos (and Their Friends)

If you've ever wondered exactly what the so-called "gay agenda" consists of, now's your chance to find out. The Meeting, a monthly comedy/variety show for homosexuals and their friends, will launch Pride Week with a star-studded session to benefit The Ali Forney Center on Monday, June 21 at 10pm. The hit monthly series is billed as a gay romp through politics (sexual and otherwise), social news, music, skits, and other life-changing information. The usual site of the festivities is The Duplex Cabaret Theatre on Christopher Street, but this special edition will take place at Le Poisson Rouge (185 Bleecker Street, between Thompson and Sullivan). Directed by Christian Coulson, the show will feature Jeffery Self and Cole Escola (Logo TV's Jeffery and Cole Casserole), the fabulous drag king Murray Hill, Bridget Everett (At Least It's Pink, We've Got Tonight), Erin Markey (Puppy Love: A Stripper's Tail), and Molly Pope (The Diva-lution of Molly Pope, Our Hit Parade), with other special guests to be announced. The Meeting makes comic hay of the mythical "gay agenda" and is structured as any organizational meeting for homosexuals would be. Business of the day -- from politics to prophylactics -- is discussed and interwoven with comedy sketches, musical numbers, and other "homo-hijinks." The show is hosted by actor/comedian Justin Sayre (pictured above), who has assumed the title of "chairman of the I.O.S., The International Order of Sodomites -- the centuries-old secret organization of homosexuals and their friends." What sort of subject matter is fodder for the performers? "Well," says Sayre, "we've done a series of sketches on the breakup of the gay penguins at the San Francisco Zoo. Did you know they broke up? Zoologists were baffled! We also play games. In this version, we're going to play Celebrity Match Game; Murray Hill will be the host, and we'll have people playing the ghosts of Brett Somers and Charles Nelson Reilly. Oh, and each month, we celebrate a gay icon -- everyone from Bea Arthur to Bette Davis." What else? "HBO is making a movie about the life of Anita Bryant, so we've had people 'audition' for the role. And we always end with a segment called 'New Rulings from the Board,' which is kind of a roundup of what's in the news with a lot of jokes about where we are and where things stand." Sayre is very pleased that Ali Forney Center will benefit from the June 21 performance: "Our show is all about community, so we wanted to end our season during Pride month with a charitable event. When I was thinking of really great gay charities in the city -- and there are so many -- Ali Forney stuck out, because the work they do is so, so important." The center provides housing and other services to homeless LGBT youth. Financial and moral support of the organization is particularly vital at the moment, since one of its shelters was recently defaced by vandalism including the words "We don't want gay people here" graffitied on the shelter wall. "The fact that this happened in Astoria is mind-boggling to me," says Sayre, who happens to live in that neighborhood. "It's such a melting pot here -- and there are so many actors! There was a big rally in Union Square Park on Monday to protest the hate crime. I'm told the kids were upset by the graffiti incident but they weren't really freaked out about it; they said they felt safe, and they just looked at it as some idiot trying to take a stand on something. I think the fact that these kids are so confident and so proud says a lot about the Ali Forney Center." Tickets for the special edition of The Meeting are available at LPRNYC.com. There is a $25 cover charge and a two-item per person minimum at tables, and you must be 18+ years of age to attend. For more information, visit facebook.com/TheMeetingWink and www.aliforneycenter.org. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/a_meeting_of_the_mos_and_their.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/a_meeting_of_the_mos_and_their.shtml Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:53:55 -0500 The 2010 Phony Awards

The 2010 Phony Awards

Well, kids, it's time for the third annual Phony Awards -- a name I've borrowed from my friend and colleague Gerard Alessandrini, with his blessing. I've tried to come up with categories that are specifically tailored to this season's shows and artists, yet I was once again able to recycle a few categories from the past two seasons and simply plug in new winners. Because these are the Phonys and not the Tonys, Off-Broadway shows and artists are eligible for consideration. Please understand that the awards are "phony" only in the sense that they don't actually exist and most of the categories won't be found in other awards competitions, but certainly not in the sense that they're undeserved. ******************** Most Energetic Cast: The company of American Idiot. Yes, I realize their average age is somewhere around 24. Still, it's amazing that they're able to perform this show's frenetic staging and insanely intense choreography full-out, eight times a week (see photo above). Truly awesome. Most Auspicious Broadway Debut by a Film Star: Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge. Most Welcome Return to Broadway After a Long Absence: Barbara Cook in Sondheim on Sondheim. Most Fearless Performance: Elizabeth Marvel in Suzan-Lori Parks' The Book of Grace at The Public Theater. Best Performance by a Star in an Unworthy Vehicle: Valerie Harper in Looped, by Matthew Lombardo. Best Performance by an Actor in a Role Previously Thought of as Thankless: Tie: Ron Bohmer as Father in Ragtime; Michael Cristofer as Alfieri in A View from the Bridge Collective Award to Four New Musicals That Were Presented Off-Broadway But Were Superior to Most if Not All of the New Musicals on Broadway: The Scottsboro Boys (Vineyard), Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson (The Public Theater), The Kid (The New Group at Theatre Row), Bloodsong of Love (Ars Nova). Best Fully Staged, Off-Broadway Revival of a Musical: Tie: Ernest in Love at the Irish Rep; Children of Eden at the Astoria Performing Arts Center. Best Bare-Bones, Off-Off-Broadway Revival of a Musical: Is There Life After High School?, presented at the Duplex by Opening Doors Theatre Company. Runners-up: The Rink and Stop the World -- I Want to Get Off, presented by Musicals Tonight! at the McGinn-Cazale Theatre. Special Achievement Award for Proving that Even a Highly Problematic Show Can Make for a Thrilling Night of Theater if the Talent and the Production Are First-Rate: To everyone involved in the City Center Encores! presentation of Anyone Can Whistle. Most Negligible Book of a Musical: Million Dollar Quartet. Even people who love this show for the thrilling performances of rock and roll standards by its triple-threat cast will have to admit that the book is an unfortunate amalgam of clunky exposition, tepid drama, and lame humor. Most Rudderless Direction of Any Show On or Off Broadway: Robert Longbottom, Bye Bye Birdie. Sexiest Female Performer: Karine Plantadit, Come Fly Away. Her dancing is to die for, and she avoids the pitfalls in playing what might have been a stereotypical "fierce black woman" by bringing a great deal of humor to the part, which only makes her performance all the more sexy. Sexiest Male Performer: Austin Peck, The Irish Curse. His role of a hyper-masculine gay cop stretched credulity, but Peck was hotter-than-hot in it. Runners-up: Benjamin Walker in Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Sahr Ngaujah in Fela!. Cutest Onstage Straight Couple: Jan Maxwell and Anthony LaPaglia, Lend Me a Tenor. Cutest Onstage Gay Couple: Three-way tie: Christopher Sieber and Lucas Steele, The Kid; Patrick Heusinger and Patrick Breen, Next Fall; Kelsey Grammer and Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux folles. The Janus Award to the Best/Worst Broadway Revue I've Ever Seen: Sondheim on Sondheim boasts many wonderful moments, thanks to a great cast that includes Barbara Cook, Vanessa Williams, Tom Wopat, and Leslie Kritzer. But it also has some major flaws, nearly all of them the responsibility of James Lapine, who conceived and directed this production. The nadir comes when the hauntingly beautiful song "Happiness" from Passion is staged and performed as a comedy number -- an astonishingly bad idea. The Arthur Laurents Award for Most Lugubrious Pacing of a Show: Tie: The Glass Menagerie, directed by Gordon Edelstein; A Little Night Music, directed by Trevor Nunn. The normal running time of each of these shows is about two and a half hours. Here, each runs much closer to three hours. In the manner of Arthur Laurents' snail-pacing of his Gypsy and West Side Story revivals, Edelstein and Nunn slow down the action of Menagerie and Night Music to the point where the shows really drag, despite the considerable merits of these productions. Best Sound Design of a Musical: Promises, Promises. The Broadway Theatre is a barn that has pushed some sound designers into ridiculous over-amplification, but for Promises, Brian Ronan has managed to make the voices and the orchestra sound both terrifically exciting and completely natural. Worst Sound Design of a Musical: American Idiot. I understand that ear-splitting volume is supposed to be part of the punk rock experience, but the sound of this show is so incredibly loud and distorted that the experience is borderline painful and at least 50 percent of the lyrics are unintelligible. That's a huge problem, not a plus. Poorest Excuse for an Orchestra: Tie: Sondheim on Sondheim, A Little Night Music. Most Underrated Broadway Play of the Season: Enron, by Lucy Prebble. Most Cringe-Inducing, Shockingly Graphic Sex Scene: Blind, at the Rattlestick Theater. Seth Numrich and Veanne Cox each deserve a special award for going through with it. Best Performance by an Audience Member: Mike Nichols at Wishful Drinking. There was a talk-back with Carrie Fisher after the performance I attended, and Nichols and his wife, Diane Sawyer, stayed for it. The fellow running the talk-back said something like, "Hello, I'm So-and-So, and I work for the Education Department at the Roundabout." When he called on Nichols to ask his question, the legendary director-writer-comedian began by saying, "Hi, I work for the Education Department for the Shuberts, so I don't have a lot to do." Nobody else in the audience seemed to know who he was or why that was funny, but I laughed hysterically. Thank you, Mr. Nichols! Best Performance in a Special Event: Doris Eaton Travis, the amazing former Ziegfeld girl who brought down the house with her appearance in the Broadway Cares/Equity Fights AIDS Easter Bonnet show in April, just two weeks before her death at age 106. Most Justifiable Omission from the Tony Award Nominations List: Even in a somewhat fallow year, David Mamet's Race was not nominated for Best Play, and with good reason. It's obvious, derivative, and light years short of Mamet's best work. "It Was Grand Knowing You" Award to Three Wonderful Shows That Closed Quickly But Deserved to Run Far Longer: Brighton Beach Memoirs, Finian's Rainbow, and Ragtime.]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/the_2010_phony_awards.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/the_2010_phony_awards.shtml Fri, 11 Jun 2010 10:02:48 -0500 Every One a Winner Every One a Winner One of the nicest things about the Theatre World Awards is that there are no nominations, so no one "loses." And since past honorees are chosen to present these annual awards to actors who have made their first big splash on the New York theater scene, it's accurate to say that everyone on stage is a winner. Here are my photos of the 66th annual Theatre World Awards ceremony, held on Tuesday, June 8 at New World Stages. ********************

Here's Scarlett Johansson, the beautiful young film star who made a smashing Broadway debut in an excellent revival of Arthur Miller's A View From the Bridge.

Sahr Ngaujah, honored for his amazing performance in the title role of Fela!

Presenter Brian Stokes Mitchell, who won his Theatre World Award in 1988 for his performance in Mail.

Presenter Viola Davis, a 2010 Tony Award nominee for her performance in Fences and a 1996 Theatre World Award winner for her performance in Seven Guitars.

Michael Urie was honored this year for his work in The Temperamentals.

Urie's award was presented by his Ugly Betty co-star Vanessa Williams, a 1995 Theatre World Award winner for Kiss of the Spider Woman.

Here's Bill Heck, who was honored this year for his performance in The Orphans' Home Cycle.

I caught some of this year's winners in the lobby at New World Stages before the ceremony began. Here's Jon Michael Hill (Superior Donuts).

Here's winner Stephanie Umoh with her Ragtime castmate Bobby Steggert, who won this year's Dorothy Loudon "Starbaby" Award.

Nina Arianda, who earned across-the-board rave reviews for her performance in Venus in Fur.

Winner Eddie Redmayne with his Red co-star Alfred Molina, a 1996 Theatre World Award honoree for his work in Molly Sweeney.

Keera Keeley, a winner this year for her performance as Laura Wingfield in The Glass Menagerie.

Chris Chalk (right), honored for his performance in Fences, with Condola Rashad, who won a Theatre World Award last year for her work in Ruined.

In addition to the presentations and acceptance speeches, the fast-moving ceremony featured some entertainment and special appearances. Since the event was held on the set of Avenue Q, it was great to have original cast members Jennifer Barnhart and John Tartaglia on hand.

I leave you with this photo of Jonathan Groff, a 2007 Theatre World Award winner for Spring Awakening, who wowed the crowd with his rendition of "Only in New York" from Thoroughly Modern Millie. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/every_one_a_winner_1.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/every_one_a_winner_1.shtml Wed, 09 Jun 2010 08:47:53 -0500 Doug Sills Gets the Hook

Doug Sills Gets the Hook

His musical theater roles have ranged from the dashing pretend-fop Percy Blakeney in The Scarlet Pimpernel to the strutting peacock Carl-Magnus in A Little Night Music to the over-the-top-theatrical Oscar Jaffee in On the Twentieth Century. He also played a villain, in the creepy person of the masochistic Orin Scrivello, D.D.S. in Little Shop of Horrors. And now, Douglas Sills is taking on the iconic mantle of the villainous Captain Hook in Peter Pan at the Paper Mill Playhouse, opposite the wonderful Nancy Anderson in the title role. During a break in rehearsals for the Charlap-Leigh-Styne-Comden & Green musical, I chatted with him about this juicy assignment. ******************** BROADWAYSTARS.COM: I guess you're a little too young to have grown up watching the Mary Martin version of Peter Pan on TV. DOUGLAS SILLS: I don't know if I'm too young for it, but I have no recollection of ever seeing it. STARS: My memory is that it used to be shown annually, then there was a long break. And then -- I'll never forget this -- they aired the show one more time in the mid '70s. Everyone was so excited. A high school friend of mine hosted a viewing party, and everybody had to bring a jar of Peter Pan peanut butter. SILLS: It's amazing how the name Peter Pan is inculcated so deeply in our culture. Everybody has some reference that comes to mind, whether it's the peanut butter or those Peter Pan buses, or whatever. STARS: The original story by J.M. Barrie is beloved in itself, and there have been so many popular stage, film, and TV adaptations. SILLS: Yes. And everyone loved the Johnny Depp film about Barrie, Finding Neverland. I hear that's being musicalized. STARS: What are some of your thoughts on Captain Hook? SILLS: I feel like so many of our villains emanate from him. He's sort of the prototype for all who came later -- the whole idea of hating children, losing a body part and having it replaced by a hook. Barrie tapped into old fears about crocodiles, pirates. And it's so interesting, the idea of a boy teetering between childhood and adulthood. "I don't want to grow up! I don't want to go there, it's scary, there's too much responsibility." It's a very Freudian fulcrum. In a lot of ways, becoming an adult is cataclysmic for all of us. STARS: One of the great moments in all of theater comes when Tinkerbell is dying and Peter turns to the audience and begs them to save her by clapping if they believe in fairies. SILLS: Some people laugh when Peter says that -- at least, the adults do. But they clap. They want to believe. The play was originally written for adult audiences, and I understand there was a big to-do over that moment. Barrie was told, "You can't do that. This is England. You can't ask the audience to interact like that." But he insisted, and it turned out to be the most memorable moment in the play. STARS: You actually play two roles in the show, Captain Hook and Mr. Darling. Can you talk about that duality? SILLS: It's a fascinating premise. Why wouldn't you have two different actors play those roles? Barrie did it purposefully. There's something about a male adult authority figure that threatens childhood. In Neverland, the Lost Boys want a mother -- but they don't want a father. STARS: What's your take on Hook? SILLS: When I came into this, my image of him was more towards the genuinely evil. I think of the Grimms' fairy tales, and how they've been so whitewashed, at least in this country. The original tales are very dark and frightening; they're meant to teach lessons, and I think children can take it. With Hook, I thought: "Since there's so much lightness and comedy written into this show, I'll play him very dark and try to provide a counterweight." Then I saw the sets and costumes for this production, and I thought, "Maybe that's not going to work." So the character is still not completely there, but the director [Mark Hoebee] and I are definitely working to balance the lightness and darkness. STARS: As originally played by Cyril Ritchard in the musical, Captain Hook was quite effeminate. What's your opinion on that interpretation? SILLS: I think some of that is written into the part. The original Peter Pan story dates from the 19th century, and we have a very different association today when we see men behave in that iconically foppish, effeminate way. You look at those old Biblical movies, and the villains -- Herod, Caesar, Pilate -- are always played by these fey British guys. They're both powerful and impotent. I'm not scared of the effeminacy in Hook. If it seems appropriate and grounded in the reality of the part, I'll do it. I mean, everyone knows Douglas Sills is not exactly Lee J. Cobb or Sam Shepard. I am what I am. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/doug_sills_gets_the_hook.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/06/doug_sills_gets_the_hook.shtml Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:29:40 -0500 If It Only Even Runs a Minute

If It Only Even Runs a Minute

If you live in NYC and you adore flop musicals, there are several options available for your entertainment dollar. The "Closing Notice" series of piano-only concert revivals, presented by Opening Doors Productions at the Duplex, is specifically dedicated to shows that failed to find an audience in their day. Mel Miller's "Musicals Tonight!" and the York Theater Company's "Musicals in Mufti" include many short-runners in their programming, and Scott Siegel's Broadway concerts at The Town Hall frequently offer what might be called "hits from misses." Even the high-profile City Center Encores! series occasionally unearths a bona fide flop -- e.g., House of Flowers. Oh, and it's never hard to find cabaret shows that embrace songs from unloved musicals. What makes If It Only Even Runs a Minute different from all of the above? According to Jennifer Ashley Tepper, who with Kevin Michael Murphy co-created and co-hosts this new concert series at the Laurie Beechman Theatre, "We think we're unique because we present not just songs but also anecdotes, projected photos, and historical tidbits from rare musicals." If It Only... is also noteworthy for featuring personal appearances and performances by veterans of some of Broadway's biggest bombs and most grievous disappointments. The first concert in the series had Nancy Anderson singing a song from A Class Act and talking about that short-lived show based on the life and career of Ed Kleban (see photo above, by Monica Simoes). Additionally, Craig Carnelia spoke of his non-hits Is There Life After High School? and Sweet Smell of Success, while Nick Blaemire shared memories of Glory Days, which closed on its Broadway opening night in May 2008. So, what's in store for audiences at the second If It Only Even Runs a Minute concert, slated for Sunday, May 30 at 9:30pm at the Beechman? "It wasn't planned," says Tepper, "but I realized that we're going to have a large number of Off-Broadway musicals represented: Annie Warbucks, A Man of No Importance, Debbie Does Dallas, Diamonds, Personals. So I guess we have an unintentional theme. But there will be Broadway songs, too, from Mack and Mabel, All American, Drat! The Cat!, Starmites. And I think we're going to do "Meadowlark" from The Baker's Wife." Kevin Michael Murphy and Jennifer Ashley Tepper; photo by Monica Simoes

Kevin Michael Murphy and Jennifer Ashley Tepper; photo by Monica Simoes

Tepper and Murphy (pictured in Monica Simoes photo at right) pride themselves on giving true rarities a hearing. Says Tepper, "Our musical director, Caleb Hoyer, is so wonderful that he's been able to transcribe some very obscure songs from shows that don't even have published sheet music. In this next concert, we're going to have a song from Marlowe, everyone's favorite 1981 musical about Christopher Marlowe. Caleb transcribed it from a bootleg recording, which is pretty awesome. There was no way we were ever going to find sheet music from Marlowe! He also transcribed a song from Via Galactica that we'll be doing." Anyone who thinks obsessive love for flop musicals is limited to middle-aged and elderly "show queens" should think again; Tepper and Murphy are still in the bloom of youth, and the audience for the first If It Only Even Runs a Minute consisted largely of folks under 30. Notes Tepper, "We had a lot of young people who are involved with NYMF, and a lot of NYU students and recent grads. Believe it or not, there is a young audience out there who've listened to A Man of No Importance or even Drat! The Cat! a million times." The format of If It Only Even Runs a Minute might make some of those NYU alums feel like they're back at school, in that Tepper and Murphy provide highly informative commentary in their introductions to the songs. "The whole endeavor is very much its own animal," Tepper remarks. "It's kind of a concert, but we joke around and say that it's also kind of a class. I'd say it's in the same basic genre as Seth Rudetsky's Broadway 101: It's fun, but you learn something." Among the performers slated for Sunday's show are Aaron Simon Gross, A.J. Shively, Eric William Morris, Leslie McDonel, Jaclyn Huberman, Lance Rubin, Lindsay Mendez, Lorinda Lisitza, Kristy Cates, Molly Hager -- and a very special guest. Says Tepper, barely able to contain herself, "Evan Pappas is going to do a song from My Favorite Year and talk about his experience with the show! That was one of the cast albums that I listened to over and over as a teenager. I wrote to Evan blindly, hoping he'd do this for us, and he said yes. I'm so excited that I want to cry whenever I think about it." ******************** [The Laurie Beechman Theatre is located in the West Bank Café at 407 West 42nd Street, just west of Ninth Avenue, in Manhattan. Tickets for If It Only Even Runs a Minute are priced at $15, and there is a $15 food/drink minimum. For reservations, phone 212-695-6909.]]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/if_it_only_even_runs_a_minute.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/if_it_only_even_runs_a_minute.shtml Thu, 27 May 2010 11:03:14 -0500 Gregg Baker: From Crown to Porgy

Gregg Baker: From Crown to Porgy

With his huge physical, vocal, and dramatic presence, baritone Gregg Baker virtually owned the role of Crown in the George Gershwin masterpiece Porgy and Bess for the past quarter century, having played it in just about every high-profile production of the period (Radio City Music Hall, the Metropolitan Opera, Glyndebourne, and so on). If you missed his definitive performance, you still have the opportunity to see and hear it, as the Glyndebourne production was videotaped and is available on DVD. An artist has to grow, so it's not surprising that Baker would eventually graduate to the central role of the crippled beggar Porgy, which he recently sang for the Opera Company of Philadelphia. New York-area folks have a chance to see him in the part for two performances this weekend, when the New Jersey State Opera brings the Philadelphia production to Newark Symphony Hall on Friday, May 21 at 8pm and Sunday, May 23 at 3pm. Most of the cast is new, but Mr. Baker is reprising Porgy, this time opposite the Bess of Laquita Mitchell. A few days ago, I spoke with him about the role and the opera. ******************** BROADWAYSTARS.COM: When you sang Porgy in Philadelphia, was that your first time in the part? GREGG BAKER: Yes, but I've recorded it twice -- for Zubin Mehta on Teldec records, and with the late Erich Kunzel on Telarc. STARS: It's a tremendously challenging role. Aside from the huge amount of singing, you're required to perform on your knees. GREGG: Actually, I won't be on my knees this time; I'll be on crutches. I think that's the new concept for the part, ever since Glyndebourne, when Trevor Nunn gave Porgy walking sticks instead of having him on his knees and in a goat cart. But I did sing the part on my knees in Philadelphia. STARS: Did you have a goat in Philly? GREGG: No. I had a cart, but no goat! STARS: The opera is a masterwork, but some people are put off by its depiction of impoverished African Americans living in the South in the early years of the 20th century. What's your take on that? GREGG: Porgy and Bess is a fantastic piece. Because of the social environment in which we live, certain words and references that were in the original production could never be included now. It would just be unacceptable. But those elements are of little consequence to the construct of the piece a whole, so it really doesn't suffer if they're cut, as they have been over the years. STARS: You were Crown in the opening night cast of the Metropolitan Opera production in 1985, with Simon Estes as Porgy and Grace Bumbry as Bess. If I recall, Estes had been injured during rehearsals, so he had to do the part on crutches rather than on his knees. Isn't that right? GREGG: Yes. In the first orchestra/dress rehearsal, Simon twisted his knee during one of our fight scenes, so he had to make some adjustments. STARS: Would you like to say something about the musical qualities of the opera? GREGG: It's very eclectic. Various parts of it are written like Wagner, Verdi, Puccini. A lot of people come to Porgy not fully understanding how difficult a piece it is, both from a vocal and orchestral standpoint. I stayed away from it for the first part of my career, because I knew some people who were already in "the Porgy vortex," whereby once you become identified with the piece, you're pretty much locked in. Once I chose to do Crown, I examined the whole work from a musical standpoint and tried to figure out what I could bring to the role vocally, aside from my size and my athletic ability. STARS: Have you ever seen the Otto Preminger film version of Porgy and Bess? GREGG: Of course. I like the movie, even though Sidney Poitier and Dorothy Dandridge don't do their own singing. I still think it's a classic. Sammy Davis, Jr. was the perfect Sportin' Life. STARS: Speaking of Dorothy Dandridge: I got to see you play Husky Miller in Carmen Jones in London some years ago. Do you think that show could be a hit if it was revived in this country? GREGG: Definitely. After London, I did a concert version of the show with Vanessa Williams in D.C. at the Kennedy Center, and it was very well received. STARS: How was Ms. Williams as Carmen? GREGG: She was fantastic. At first, I think she was a bit intimidated because she categorized it as an opera, but it really isn't. The show can be done with opera singers, but it doesn't have to be. Vanessa is a very strong musical theater performer; once we all made her feel more comfortable and at ease, she was wonderful in the part. I think the show would go over really well on Broadway today. As a matter of fact, we're in low-level discussions on how to possibly pull it together for Broadway. I'm hopeful that there might be an announcement of a revival in the near future -- and if there is, I'll be a part of it. STARS: Great! Any final thoughts on Porgy? GREGG: I believe it's a timeless piece. This production was put together rather quickly, but I think we have a good mix of young singers and veterans. I'm really looking forward to it. [For more information about the New Jersey State Opera performances of Porgy and Bess, click here].]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/gregg_baker_from_crown_to_porg.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/gregg_baker_from_crown_to_porg.shtml Thu, 20 May 2010 10:36:16 -0500 Mad for Mitzi!

Mad for Mitzi!

One of the most gorgeous and talented women in the history of show business, Mitzi Gaynor has had a major career resurgence in recent years, capped by a 2010 Emmy Award for the PBS documentary special about her TV variety shows of the 1960s and '70s. (That program is now available on DVD, and you have got to get a hold of it.) Although she's best known for those amazing specials and for her performance as Nellie Forbush in the film version of South Pacific, as well as for such films as There's No Business Like Show Business and Les Girls, Mitzi has conquered just about every medium of entertainment from splashy Las Vegas extravaganzas to solo recordings -- except for Broadway (see below). Now she's bringing her one-woman career retrospective show to Feinstein's at Loews Regency, an appearance that will mark her first time on a New York stage in more than half a century. I recently spoke with her about this momentous occasion. ******************** STARS: New York is mad for Mitzi! The folks at Feinstein's anticipated that your show would be hugely popular, so they booked you into the hotel's ballroom rather than the more intimate space where the shows are usually held. And, even before the opening, your run was extended from one week to two. Isn't that exciting? MITZI: I'm over the moon about it. I'm also a little trepidatious, of course. But Michael [Feinstein] wanted it. They're building a stage for me, and a dressing room, so I'll have a place for costume changes. STARS: After all, what would a Mitzi Gaynor show be without costume changes? MITZI: I know! One time, I played a theater in Columbus, Ohio, and right on the marquee it said: "Mitzi Gaynor and Her Bob Mackie Costumes!" STARS: Tell me about the new show. MITZI: It's got some old songs, some new ones. When I'm offstage, we show film clips to sort of progress the story of my life and career. I can't wait to do this show in New York! The last time I worked in New York was when I was a kid in the ballet of the Los Angeles Civic Light Opera, and we played at City Center as part of a tour. STARS: That must have been about 60 years ago! MITZI: Yes. Thank you, darling. Can I have a cigarette, please? [Laughs] STARS: You never did a Broadway musical. Was that on purpose, or did things just work out that way? MITZI: Well, anytime something came up that I would have liked to do, I couldn't because I was busy with my own show. One day, Irving Berlin called me up after he had seen one of my TV specials. He said, "Hello, Mitzileh!" I said, "Hello, Mr. Berlin." He said, "How'd you know it was me?" I said, "I can tell by your voice." Anyway, he told me he wanted me to do Annie Get Your Gun on stage, but I said I couldn't because I was doing my show. He said, "What's it called?" I told him, "The Mitzi Gaynor Show." He said, "That's a very clever title." I guess you get spoiled when you do your own shows; it's hard work, but it's very fulfilling. STARS: You would have been an amazing Mame. That's a very tricky role to cast, but you have all the necessary qualities in terms of looks, talent, glamour, warmth, and humor. MITZI: I would have loved to have done Mame. But I couldn't do it now, because the entire world has done the part, including your Aunt Ethel -- probably better than I. STARS: I know you did a tour of Anything Goes. Did you enjoy that experience? MITZI: Oh, yes. I had a ball. We went all over the U.S. and Canada, for about eight months. I played the part that Ethel Merman created. She and I were very close friends until she died; we really bonded on the set of There's No Business Like Show Business. STARS: I didn't get to see you in Anything Goes, but a friend showed me the souvenir program, and I still remember your bio. It started with a line that went something like, "Mitzi Gaynor is to Virgo as Virgo is to Mitzi Gaynor." MITZI: It's true. We Virgos are such pains in the asses. It's "Do it my way and we only have to do it once. Then we can go have dinner!" STARS: I know your late husband, Jack Bean, was a great force in your life and career. MITZI: We were like one person. He was my husband, my manager, my producer, my everything. When he passed away, I didn't want to do anything anymore, but then I realized I had to go back to work. It would be a sin not to. STARS: In your early career, you were known primarily as a dancer. I've always thought it ironic that your most famous film role was Nellie in South Pacific, which requires almost no dancing. But you sang the songs so beautifully. MITZI: Thank you so much for saying that. [Director and co-author] Josh Logan really wanted me for the part, and Oscar Hammerstein wanted me, and Richard Rodgers. The whole triumvirate. I didn't have much contact with Dick Rodgers, because he wasn't very well at the time, but I did meet him. I think he could tell that I'm a real person -- as real as a phony bitch Virgo actress can possibly be! Oscar was on set for some of the filming; he came to the island. Josh would say to him, "Why don't you direct this scene." It was thrilling. You know, I'm so lucky, because I've never worked with a stinker -- someone who made me think, "Oh God, do I have to go to work again today?" Never. Isn't that great? STARS: Definitely. I should say congratulations on your Emmy Award. The clips in that documentary are so wonderful; I'm loving the DVD. Do you think there's a place for variety shows on TV today? MITZI: Yes. I think because of the popularity of shows like Dancing With the Stars and So You Think You Can Dance?, more and more kids are studying dance and realizing that you have to know what you're doing in order to get a job. And I think American Idol has a lot to do with so many people wanting to learn how to sing. There should be a place for variety shows on TV -- but in the meantime, people who love that kind of thing are just going to have to come to Feinstein's and see Mitzileh! [For more information about Mitzi Gaynor's show at Feinstein's, or to order tickets, click here] ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/mad_for_mitzi.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/mad_for_mitzi.shtml Fri, 14 May 2010 11:54:07 -0500 Natalie Douglas Celebrates Lena Horne

Natalie Douglas Celebrates Lena Horne

The wonderful singer Natalie Douglas's celebration of Lena Horne has been acclaimed at both Birdland and Feinstein's at Loews Regency. She's bringing the show, titled To Lena: A Tribute to a Lady and Her Music, back to Birdland this coming Monday, May 17 at 7pm -- a performance that will be all the more affecting with the passing of the legendary Lena on Sunday, May 9 at age 92. I called Natalie to talk about the show a few days before Ms. Horne's death, and then I called back the day after to offer my condolences. Here's some of what she had to say: ******************** BROADWAYSTARS: I know that Lena meant a lot to you. How are you feeling? NATALIE DOUGLAS: Of course, I'm very sad. We didn't have a personal relationship, and yet I feel deeply affected by her death. Everything I can think of to say is so clichéd. She was one of the greats, and now she's gone. Thank God we have the legacy that she left. STARS: I don't suppose you've had time to think about how you're going to reference her passing in the show on Monday. NATALIE: Not specifically. What strikes me is how many performers -- black women especially -- talk about what a formative experience it was to see her in movies, or in her Broadway show, or on Sanford and Son, or singing with the Muppets. She definitely had something that made us want to do that, and made us feel almost personally encouraged by watching her. Lena Horne quite literally broke down the doors in allowing that to be possible for black women. STARS: I missed your show at Birdland and at Feinstein's. Can you tell me about it? NATALIE: There's a lot of great music in it. One of my favorites is "I Love to Love," a Herbert Baker tune; it's a little naughty but terribly, terribly proper. I like to do "Ain't It the Truth" from Cabin in the Sky, and I really enjoy singing some of her nightclub tunes, which a lot of people don't know. I also love "Can't Help Lovin' That Man." Lena held so many emotions about that song, because she was so happily anticipating doing the role of Julie in the movie of Show Boat, and she was deeply disappointed and hurt when she didn't get it. STARS: Is there a fair amount of historical information in the show? NATALIE: Lena was a complicated woman, so it's not easy to tell her life story. There are things about her that are hard to understand without a lot of the background and history. I try to do a show that, if you love Lena and you don't want to hear anything negative about your favorite, I'm not going to offend you; but if you know some of the stuff about her life that's a little rougher, you'll understand that from the context. There are all different levels of knowledge about Lena. I think a lot of people don't know much about her aside from "Stormy Weather" and knowing "Oh, my God, she was so beautiful." People who saw her one-woman show have a little bit more information, but there's a younger group who only know her from The Wiz or The Muppet Show or whatever. So I try to talk about some of the realities of her life and how she got from one place to the next. Lena Horne

STARS: I haven't yet read James Gavin's bio of her, but I'm looking forward to doing so. NATALIE: There are so many bios about Lena. She was not shy about telling her story, it's just that it wasn't the whole story. There were different versions of it. In my show, I try to be truthful about her, but I find it easy to give her a break in terms of some of the stories that show her in a less flattering light, because I think I get the anger she had seething beneath the surface. It's so easy to understand that anger, given the times she lived in and what she was up against. So many of her performances for so much of her career were about skimming the surface; she did these light, sophisticated, enjoyable shows, the kind of thing that café society enjoyed, but there was all that anger and passion seething underneath. It's fascinating. STARS: Did you ever get to see her perform live? NATALIE: Yes. My mom brought me to see The Lady and Her Music in Los Angeles, and we got to go backstage and meet her. She couldn't have been more gracious. That show was just spectacular; I've never forgotten it. On my first album, there's an arrangement of "Bewitched, Bothered, and Bewildered" that I created with Charlie Lindberg; I really wanted to sing it because I had heard Lena do it in her show, in a way that I had never heard anyone else do it. It was the first time I realized that this old standard, which I had heard a hundred times, was all about sex. I never knew how illicit the song is until I heard Lena's take on it. She taught me a lot about how you can approach a song from different points of view -- like, for example, the two versions of "Stormy Weather" that she did in The Lady and Her Music. She was a remarkable woman. ******************** [For more information on Natalie Douglas's tribute to Lena Horne at Birdland, click here] ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/natalie_douglas_celebrates_len.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/natalie_douglas_celebrates_len.shtml Wed, 12 May 2010 12:09:04 -0500 The Kid Has Two Dads

The Kid Has Two Dads

It usually takes the theater a few years to reflect current events. That said, it's a little surprising that only now are we starting to see shows dealing with a fact of life that has become more and more common over the past two decades or so: gay couples having children, by various methods. One of the first shows in this genre opens tonight (May 10) at Theatre Row: The Kid, a smart, funny, and touching new musical with a book by Michael Zam, lyrics by Jack Lechner, and music by Andy Monroe, directed by Scott Elliott. Based on the book of the same title by sex advice columnist Dan Savage, The Kid is all about what happened when Savage and his partner, Terry Miller, decided to bring a baby into their lives. Just prior to a recent preview performance, I caught up with Christopher Sieber and Lucas Steele, who respectively play Dan and Terry and who both are jazzed to be involved in a project that truly deserves the label "groundbreaking." ************** BROADWAYSTARS: Dan Savage is quite famous as a sex advice columnist; Terry Miller is less well known. Was physical resemblance to the actual Dan and Terry an issue in terms of casting this show? CHRISTOPHER SIEBER: God, no! People ask that a lot. Fortunately, we don't have to do a life study of these two. It would drive me crazy if I felt I had to study Dan Savage and recreate his mannerisms. LUCAS STEELE: In the book, the first time Dan mentions Terry, he refers to him "the boy with the long, blond hair and the big lips." I guess that's why I popped into Scott Elliott's mind, although now Terry has short hair. STARS: It must be very exciting to be in a musical about gay parenting. CHRIS: It's definitely a unique story -- one that I don't think has ever been told on stage before, especially from the point of view of two gay men. It's funny, some of the older ladies who've seen the show, they love it so much. Two of them came up to Lucas and me after one of the first performances and they said, "It isn't a gay story, it's a love story!" LUCAS: Everyone has their own individual journey when it comes to adoption. What appeals to me most about this play is that it's about gay characters but it's not about them being closeted. So much gay theater that I know of is about someone hiding the fact that they're gay, and eventually coming out. CHRIS: For me, what makes this story interesting is that Terry and Dan's relationship is so fiery and passionate. They argue all the time, but they do it with a little more bite than most couples. Dan is so sarcastic and ironic in his writing, and his personality definitely comes through in the show. LUCAS: Yes. I think the story really lends itself to being musicalized -- all that witty banter. STARS: Would you say that gay theater is by now part of the mainstream? CHRIS: Definitely. Look at the stuff that's out there now: The Temperamentals, Next Fall, Yank!, La Cage... LUCAS: And Angels in America is coming back. I look forward to seeing the new school of plays involving gay characters, because as I said, I do feel there's been a lot of rehashing. STARS: Do you think we'll see a lot of plays about gay marriage in the coming years? CHRIS: I'm sure people are writing them. I did the original production of Bill C. Davis's Avow in the late '90s. It's about two gay men struggling with their religious identities and whether or not they want to get married in church. I think that play was just a few years ahead of its time. STARS: Chris, you said in an interview in the Gay City News that you'd be a terrible father. Were you exaggerating? CHRIS: No! Look in my refrigerator -- it's empty. At the market, I always grab pre-made food, because I don't make things. If there's nothing in the fridge, I just don't eat. STARS: So it's primarily a food issue? CHRIS: Yes, but also, I'm so frenetic. I'm all over the place all the time. I love my nieces and nephews, and my friends' kids, but I just don't think I'd be a very good father. STARS: And what about you, Lucas? LUCAS: I "mannied" for a couple of years and took care of some kids, but at the end of the day, I always got to leave. I think I would be a good dad, but right now, it's just not in the realm of reality for me. Maybe that will change. CHRIS: I can see this interview now: "We hate children!" But that's not true. I guess it would be nice to have someone to help do the dishes, take out the trash, and walk the dog. "Do your chores, kids!" STARS: I've heard some stories of gays adopting children that unfortunately made it sound like they were doing it for the wrong reasons. But, of course, some straight couples are also ill-equipped to raise kids, for one reason or another. CHRIS: Everyone should have the right to be parents. That doesn't mean you're going to be good at it. My parents said to me the other day, "We didn't know what we were doing, but you turned out okay." You just do the best you can. It's funny to look at my friends who are parents: Whenever a couple has their first child, they're so neurotic and overprotective, it's like they bubble-wrap the kid. Then the second one comes around, and it's like, "Where's the baby? Ah, he'll be okay; he's running around somewhere, playing with a broken bottle." LUCAS: I think this show is a very moving portrait of this family. It's going to be amazing for the child, DJ, to be able to read the book and see the show when he grows up. He's 12 now, and he's coming to opening night. CHRIS: Dan, Terry, and DJ are all coming. Dan came to our second preview; no one told me beforehand, thank goodness. We all went out afterward to the West Bank Café, and I asked him what he thought about seeing actors play out this part of his life. He said, "It's freaky!" LUCAS: Dan and Terry both came to our first reading, but we haven't met DJ yet. CHRIS: It's going to be very weird to finally meet this kid, since we already have an emotional attachment to him. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/the_kid_has_two_dads.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/the_kid_has_two_dads.shtml Mon, 10 May 2010 08:28:06 -0500 Tony Hopefuls Tony Hopefuls As Harvey Fierstein memorably pointed out a few years ago, the Tony Awards are not a beauty contest. Still, this year's nominees are a rather exceptionally attractive lot. Here are my pix of some of the hopefuls in their respective categories, taken at this year's nominees reception, held on Wednesday, May 5 at the Millennium Broadway Hotel.

Jude Law, Leading Actor in a Play, Hamlet.

Laura Linney, Leading Actress in a Play, Time Stands Still.

Bobby Steggert, Featured Actor in a Musical, Ragtime.

Montego Glover, Leading Actress in a Musical, Memphis.

David Bryan and Joe DiPietro, nominated for their score for Memphis.

Viola Davis, Leading Actress in a Play, Fences.

Here's Davis again, being interviewed with her Fences co-star Denzel Washington, who's nominated as Best Leading Actor in a Play.

Valerie Harper, Leading Actress in a Play, Looped.

Sean Hayes, Leading Actor in a Musical, Promises, Promises.

Kate Baldwin, Leading Actress in a Musical, Finian's Rainbow.

Kevin Chamberlin, Featured Actor in a Musical, The Addams Family.

Tony nominees Sheryl Kaller and Geoffrey Nauffts, respectively the director and author of Next Fall.

Rob Ashford, nominated for his choreography of Promises, Promises.

Andrew Lippa, nominated for his music and lyrics for The Addams Family.

Levi Kreis, Featured Actor in a Musical, Million Dollar Quartet.

Jan Maxwell, a double nominee this year for her leading performance in The Royal Family and her featured performance in Lend Me a Tenor.

Lillias White, Featured Actress in a Musical, Fela!

The great Marian Seldes, who has already been announced as a Lifetime Achievement Tony Award winner this year. ]]> http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/tony_hopefuls.shtml http://www.broadwaystars.com/followspot/2010/05/tony_hopefuls.shtml Wed, 05 May 2010 23:39:21 -0500