Recoupment

I have known I am a huge dork for a long time, and now it's official: I wrote a question in to Playbill.com, and it was published. For your enjoyment:

This week's question comes from Brian M. of New York, NY.
Question: What exactly does it mean for a show to recoup its investment?
Answer: To answer this question, Playbill.com talked with John Breglio, the producer of the current Broadway revival of A Chorus Line and a theatrical lawyer who has represented the likes of Stephen Sondheim and Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Theatre journalists write all the time about a show "recouping" its investment. Put simply, Breglio says, "Recoupment is the point at which the producer has repaid to his investors all the money that he raised to develop, mount and produce the show." All that money is referred to collectively as the capitalization. In the case of A Chorus Line, the capitalization was $8 million, but it can get much higher for bigger musicals. That's all the money a producer spends on a Broadway show from the day someone comes up with the idea to the day it officially opens on Broadway. Those costs include the sets, costumes, props, lighting design, rehearsal space, performer and crew salaries during rehearsals, the rights to the material, the advances paid to the writers and the out-of-town tryout.
Every week, whatever the show takes in at the box office — minus the running costs, which include actor and crew salaries, theatre rental, advertising and other costs — will help pay back that capitalization. "One week in November of last year after we opened, we did $800,000, say, in gross," Breglio says. "That week I probably made $350,000 in pure profit. That $350,000 now goes towards repaying that $8 million [capitalization]."
Determining the weekly profit can be rather complicated. For instance, for a Broadway musical, typically 65 percent of the profit every week goes to paying the investors back for the capitalization, while 35 percent goes to the profit pool, which includes the writers, directors, choreographer, designers, lead producer and other people involved in the show, each one getting an agreed-upon share of that profit pool money every week.
Some shows have an arrangement called amortization, in which every week, before the 65-35 split is made, an agreed-upon figure (typically one to two percent of the capitalization) gets taken out of the profits and is sent directly to the investors. Then 65 percent of the remaining figure also goes to the investors, and 35 percent of the remaining figure gets sent to the profit pool. The amount taken out for amortization is later paid back to the profit pool after recoupment. One can see how it gets rather complicated, and every show has a different agreement. (For more info on this topic, click here for a previous Ask Playbill.com column on writer salaries.)
The first time Breglio paid his investors for A Chorus Line, he handed them each a check on opening night in October 2006, since the pre-Broadway tryout in San Francisco and the Broadway previews had actually netted some profit already (typically, a show doesn't expect to make a profit during those performances). He then sent them each a check once a month until the $8 million was paid off 19 weeks later, in February 2007.
After recoupment, the weekly profits are divided differently. First of all, typically, the profit pool's portion rises to 40 percent, and the investors' share goes down to 60 percent. Second of all, Breglio says, before recoupment, the lead producers — whose day jobs involve developing and running the show but who don't typically invest their own money in the show, per the famous rule stated in the musical The Producers — only get paid their share of the profit pool plus an office charge of around $1,500-$3,500. But after recoupment, the lead producers start to take home a portion of that investors' share of the profits. The figure can be anywhere from 10 to 50 percent of the investors' share, depending on what was agreed upon before the show opened. (Note: On A Chorus Line Breglio is the sole lead producer, but on some shows it can be three or four or so. Also, if 30 people are credited as "producers" above the title on the musical's poster outside the theatre, not all of them are lead producers working on the show day-to-day — some are just big investors.)
The percentage that a lead producer gets depends on how hard a sell the show was to the investors before it opened. "If you have a show that is considered a good bet, a safe bet or slam dunk, you can keep a lot" of the profit that's made after recoupment as a lead producer, Breglio says. "If it's a show that has to struggle to raise money — and we all know which those are, you don't have to guess, even — then the lead producers will have to give away a lot because they have to attract these investors."
So what about the ultimate question: How can you tell beforehand if a show will recoup its investment? "It's a complete crap shoot," Breglio says. "People told me I had slam dunk with Chorus Line, and I said there is no such thing as a slam dunk."
Breglio does have one overall tip: "A lot of people focus on how much the show cost, and they go, 'Oh my God, the show cost $20 million.' Yes, it's important. But the key to successful shows is what your weekly expenses are, not your capitalization. Because if your weekly expenses are reasonable, and you keep them down, you have a shot at making money."

Rent, A Decade Later

I saw Rent last night for the tenth time. That’s right, tenth. A milestone in itself, it was also the time I saw the show with Anthony Rapp and Adam Pascal, the production’s original Mark and Roger. I have a bootleg video of the original Broadway cast on opening night, but of course nothing compares to seeing these two powerhouse performers live and in person. After failing (at least 5 times) to get rush tickets, I broke down and bought a seat in the front mezzanine. After seeing the show from the front row in the past, it’s difficult for me to want to see it any other way. But the ticket didn’t cost me much, and I had a great view of the stage, so I couldn’t complain.
Well, I couldn’t complain about the seat. Don’t get me wrong, I’m so thankful to have had the opportunity to see these two new legends perform the roles that made them infamous in the musical theater world, as well as Tamyra Gray from Season 1 of American Idol. But this show has been around for 11 years, and it shows. Every time I see this show, I leave wondering if someone who has never seen the show before would be able to understand what was going on. And last night was no exception. Lines and important plot points are skipped over, and it seems as though the performers work under the assumption that everyone in the audience has seen the show before (which may have been true, in this case, but still). It was clear, however, that tiny changes were made to make the plot clearer to the audience (particularly the detail with Angel killing Benny’s dog), but these came off as passive and cheesy, at best. The mics seemed scratchy at times, which I couldn’t decide was because of the system, because the voices were too big for their mics, or a combination of both. And I felt as though the actors needed to add in quirky bits in order to entertain themselves, truly making the show the ADD student in high school of Broadway theater.
Let’s go character by character, shall we? As Mark, Anthony is flawless. I have always felt as though he had the strongest character analysis of anyone I’ve seen as Mark (with competition from Matt Caplan), and since he created the character he’s had over a decade of time and world experience to add to that analysis. The man is brilliant. He commands applause after “Halloween,” which is usually one of the more forgotten songs in the show (albeit one of my personal favorites). You will never hear me complain about this man’s performance. Ever. In anything. Adam Pascal, on the other hand, was vocally impressive, but his acting seemed tired and, well, he seemed bored. I felt this way about him when I saw him in Aida, but he had been in the show for three years or so and was getting ready to leave, so I dismissed it to him being over the show. But maybe that’s just his acting style. Fortunately for him, his vocal performance last night was almost enough to make up for it. Tamyra Gray baffled me as Mimi. Vocally, she was the most impressive one, and I should hope that she should be, as a recording artist, and would be runner-up of AI, if it weren’t for that MJ/Side Show Bob look-alike Justin Guarini. Her acting seemed robotic, static, and forced at times. But then there were moments where she shined, especially Angel’s funeral, “Without You,” and “Goodbye, Love.” I couldn’t figure out if I liked her or not, and eventually dismissed it to the old American Idol impression: ‘She was good…when she was singing.’ (see Fantasia in Color Purple and Diana Degarmo in Bklyn for more examples of this saying). Angel was another star of the show. That man has his character down pact. Even though he was the main culprit of letting lines and plot details slip through the cracks, he was so funny and fun to watch and his dancing and singing were so phenomenal that it was hard to care. Collins was equally as impressive vocally, and his performance and character development was some of the strongest of the entire cast. And, he was making his Broadway debut, which makes him that much cooler. Joanne was only okay. Her performance was good, considering all of her bits seemed a bit rushed by the band. But her voice a little too nasally, especially paired with the overly nasally and obnoxious Maureen. Her character was a little ‘out there,’ and her vocals were very nasally and almost too painful to listen to. Benny (played by Byron Utley, the original male “Seasons of Love” soloist on Broadway) brought compassion to the character, which was refreshing for a change. But just like every actor to play Benny, his character causes him to go mostly unnoticed. The rest of the ensemble had their moments to shine. Some of them did, some of them didn’t. Telly Leung, a Wicked veteran and understudy for Angel, was compassionate and gentle as the Squeegee Man, and very likable (easy on the eyes with an amazing voice to boot). The Seasons of Love soloist was good and bad, with an amazing voice but was overly expressive and a bit too loose with the free range of her solo. The other members did a good job supporting the others, but unfortunately were not strong enough to make an impression.
It will be interesting to see how much longer this show lasts. It seems very tired, yet it always envokes deep emotions about my feelings of performing and I just wonder if what it’s riding on right now are its guest stars (sound familiar, Chicago?), and its nostalgia for Rentheads who have helped keep the show a success for such a long time.

A Chorus Line

Just saw the year-old revival of A Chorus Line. Amazingly, for being the theater buff that I am, I had only seen one production of the show, produced by the Stanford University theater department when I was in high school. So it was a real treat to not only see the show on Broadway, but to see a recreation of the original production.

There is honestly very little complaining I can do about this show. Certain actors were definitely stronger than others, but that also comes with the territory of certain songs having become more iconic than others (read: Cassie's number, "At the Ballet," "Nothing," etc.). The cast was probably half original to the revival, half new at the beginning of the summer. But as an ensemble, they were so tight and cohesive that it seemed as though they had been performing together for years. I was also surprised at the amount of passion and energy that spilled from them after having been in the show for nearly a year and a half.

And as an audience, we all ate. it. up. Every last note, ball-change, pirouhette and punchline. And we would do it over and over again if we could.

Broadway Headliners

What is going on here? I leave the country for 9 days and all of a sudden the theater community goes up in arms, and crazy things happen!

• There is yet another new tour cast of Rent launching the show in October, featuring two American Idol finalists. The first South African Idol winner, Heinz Winckler, will play Roger, and, I called this next one, Anwar Robinson from AI Season 4, will play Collins. I was in love with this guy and his voice when he was on the show, and I am really excited at the prospect of him playing Collins. Not to say that if I wanted to see Rent I wouldn't just go down to 41st & Broadway and walk into the Nederlander Theater. But you know what I mean.
• MTV will record and broadcast Legally Blonde on its network at the end of this month. I have mixed feelings about this. Of course I think it's great that the network is attempting to reach out to its young target audience in an attempt to get them interested in theater. But ultimately, I think this is predicting the downfall of the show. The tweeny audience is the show's target audience to begin with, and to make it so widely accessible to them on MTV, it may be harder to get an audience in. Judging from the Playbill attendence percentages from last week, now that school has started, attandance is way down all over Broadway, not just Legally Blonde, and that cannot bode well for the show. But I'm still excited to watch it, don't get me wrong!
• Speaking of Rent, Denise Van Outen, who co-hosted "Grease: You're The One That I Want," landed the role of Maureen in the newly re-invented Rent going up in London. Yeah, this is the newly orchestrated version of the show, updating it and giving it a "new" sound. 'Cause the current sound isn't new enough.

Rent Rent Rent Rent Rent We're Not Gonna Pay Rent

That creaking sound that you hear must be Jonathan Larson rolling in his grave....

London's Duke of York Theatre will be the home of a newly re-worked version of Rent beginning October 16th.

The Director, William Baker, says "Because of Jonathan Larson's untimely death at the first preview, the show has become frozen as a kind of sacred text. It looked and sounded very much of its time. Audiences have changed since then, and I think it needed reappraising for a London audience." Baker added his Rent is a "digital production for a digital world — more a pop opera than a rock opera." Each song has been reorchestrated to match the character who sings it. "All great songs can always be remixed," Baker explained. "We've kept the vocal melodies, but the sound is completely different."

Oy.

Yay Yay Yay!

Or maybe it should be Boo Boo Boo! I just heard through the grapevine at the Pantages that Shoshana Bean is replacing Eden Espinosa as Elphaba in Wicked in LA. She's taking over in September, which means I won't be able to see it...she's a sweet girl. I can't for her to hit big in LA!

That monster is HUGE!

Young Frankenstein is opening at the Hilton Theater this fall, and they are already hyping themselves up for one MONSTER of a show! The production has yet to begin its pre-Broadway run in Seattle, but it is already hitting the headlines in New York.

Last week, it was announced that the top ticket price for the show will set a new record for the most expensive ticket in Broadway history!

Premier seats (in the front orchestra on Friday and Saturday evenings) will run $450, the most expensive regular-priced seat EVER on Broadway! Other tickets will go for $375, $120, $80, and $60 for the back-balcony (which, at the Hilton Theater, is like watching a show across a football field!). But don't start freaking out yet, on other lower-demand evenings, the top two ticket prices will be a full $100 less. 'Cause that's still not astronomically high for a largely un-original piece of musical theater (can you tell I'm really not a big Mel Brooks musical fan?). $25 tickets will also be available in some sort of raffle/rush form for each performance.

Spring has a new Awakening

The possible puns on the title Spring Awakening are endless, as I am quickly finding out...

The Eugene O'Neill Theater is now showcasting a new billboard for the Tony winning musical. "Broadway actors...they're just like us!" raves Us Weekly! "They wear real clothes! They pose in awkward positions!"

(Click here to enlarge)

And they even signed it...how sweet! Things I notice: they look ridiculous. It's an interesting idea to have the cast in their street clothes...but what's up with those poses! They look more unnatural than if they were just standing there in their costumes chatting with one another! Also, I saw a swing in the role of Hanschen when I saw the show in May...where is he on this Billboard? With one male and one female swing who understudy most of the roles, you would think they should get recognition too (especially since the ensemble, who sit in street clothes among the audience onstage and pop up every now and again do!)! And I think some of their signatures are pretty funny...I'm not saying my personal signature is the best in the world, but it's cute to see their signatures and it definitely gives away the fact that most of them don't have much experience. The "thing" to do as a theater actor is to have a signature that resembles a violent scribble...some of their signatures look like that, but then you see full names carefully scribed in cursive, and big first letters with the rest of the name written inside them...I think I did that in middle school! And lastly, how long do you really think this billboard is going to last? It's funny enough to see the dated 10-year old photo of the OBC of Rent in front of the Nederlander...it'll be even worse to see these people 'au naturale' still hanging up on the wall even after they leave the show!

Broadway Headliners

• Universal Studios in Los Angeles will launch a weekly "Wicked Wednesdays" event on, you guessed it, Wednesdays. Featuring performances and autograph sessions by cast members of the musical, it is either an entertainment filler, or a desperate attempt to get locals to visit the park. You choose.
• The Off-Broadway hit In The Heights announced they are closing, but not Coram Boy style. More like Spring Awakening. The show is moving to Broadway! They don't know when, and they don't know where, but apparently they are going to do it. If that doesn't sound like an ambiguous upcoming flop, I don't know what does.
• Oklahoma is celebrating it's statehood centennial. How are they celebrating? With an all-star production of Oklahoma! starring Kelli O'Hara (an OK native) and Will Chase, duh!
• As if its empire wasn't big enough, Diney's High School Musical (which yours truly was in the west coast premiere of, thankyouverymuch) launched its national tour in Detroit. So far the announced venues are in the east and mid-east of the US, so the west coast will have to rely on cheesy children's theatre productions for now. No offense.
• The incomparable Kenneth Branagh has announced the principal cast for his fourth Shakespeare collaboration with BBC & HBO. The upcoming film adaptation of As You Like It will star Brian Blessed as Duke Frederick/Duke Senior, Romola Garai as Celia, Bryce Dallas Howard as Rosalind, Kevin Kline as Jaques, Adrian Lester as Oliver, Janet McTeer as Audrey, Alfred Molina as Touchstone and David Oyelowo as Orlando. Sign me up!

Spring Awakening no longer Totally F*cked

Spring Awakening has taken over the top spot in Billboard's list of top selling Soundtrack Albums. The top spot, rarely overcome by Wicked, was ruled by Jersey Boys for four weeks last year after their Tony win for Best New Musical. The top five includes:
1. Spring Awakening
2. Wicked
3. Jersey Boys
4. Curtains
5. Mamma Mia!

Theater Headliners

• The current Broadway revival of Les Mis is seeing even more cast changes, as Chip Zien, the original Baker in Into The Woods steps into the role of Thenardier for 10 weeks on June 29. Also, Megan McGinnis (Little Women), a current ensemble member, assumes the role of Eponine, and Robert Hunt assumes the role of Javert. It's not normal for shows to have so many cast changes...is this like a 'Cats' or 'Fosse' that sees a lot of cast changes because of injuries sustained while dancing (Les Mis is such a monster of a show that people can't commit to it for a long time?). Perhaps the cast really ARE "The Miserable..." Plus, the all-star casting choices reminds me of a time in college when my friend Candice and I did an all-star "this would be horrible but SO funny" casting of Rent, starring Colm Wilkinson as Roger. It was hilarious! (I wish I could find that list somewhere)...
• Lord Of The Rings, the most expensive musical in West End History (at $25 million) officially opened this week to mixed reviews (go figure). A few reporters have renamed the show "Bored Of The Rings," while others say that it's the best interpretation of the Tolkein novels there could ever be. That ring better be made of PURE GOLD, 'cause $25 million is ridiculous, and the tickets cost almost as much!
• Starting next year, a new Tony Award will be given for Best Sound. You heard me right (get it? Sound? Heard? Anyone?), Best Sound. Separate awards will be given out for Best Sound Design of a Play, and Best Sound Design of a Musical. Apparently it's important to distinguish the two. Come to think of it, I can't really think of many sound cues in the musicals I've seen lately. I wonder if the guy who caused the mic feedback in my ear when I saw Legally Blonde could be penalized.
• Tony Danza will assume the role of Max Bialystock in The Producers in Vegas in August, and is scheduled to remain in the show through August. Apparently, the creative team over at the show is desperate for a new celebrity draw, but they seem to be overlooking the fact that Danza was in the show when it posted its closing notice. Good news, Jersey Boys, you won't have to build a new theater in Vegas! One will be opening up for you shortly...

Was I right, or was I right?

I think the people I watched the Tony's with got really sick of me predicting all of the winners. But truth be told, the amount of satisfaction I got from guessing (almost) every category correctly made me feel smart for a change. You know, on a topic not very many people care about...
Here's a recap of the winners:

Best New Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening

Best New Play
The Coast of Utopia
Frost/Nixon
The Little Dog Laughed
Radio Golf

Best Musical Revival
The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade

Best Play Revival
Inherit the Wind
Journey's End
Talk Radio
Translations

Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway

Best Leading Actor in a Musical
Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raul Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains

Best Leading Actress in a Musical
Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik

Best Leading Actor in a Play
Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brian F. O'Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio

Best Leading Actress in a Play
Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed

Best Featured Actor in a Musical
Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik

Best Featured Actress in a Musical
Charlotte d'Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains

Best Featured Actor in a Play
Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia (I thought Stark Sands)
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End

Best Featured Actress in a Play
Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia (I thought Jennifer Ehle)
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Mexawell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia

Best Direction of a Musical
John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening

Best Direction of a Play
Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening (I thought Bourne & Mear)
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde

Best Score
Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes, Curtains
Scott Frankel and Michael Korie, Grey Gardens
Laurence O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin, Legally Blonde
Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, Spring Awakening

Best Orchestrations
Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening (I thought Coughlin)
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf
Ti Green & Melly Still, Coram Boy

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens (I thought Crowley)

Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia (I thought Greenwood)

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, Natasha Katz, Coast of Utopia (I thought Coram Boy)
Jason Taylor, Journey's End

2007 Tony predictions!

At long last (for me at least), here are my predictions for the winners of the 2007 Tony Awards. There are a few discrepancies in terms of who I think will win and who I think should win, and some of my predictions are shots in the dark, especially with the Play categories, but I'm givin' it my best shot!

Best New Musical
Curtains
Grey Gardens
Mary Poppins
Spring Awakening


Who will win: Spring Awakening OR Grey Gardens
Who should win: Spring Awakening


I think Spring will take it. It is the type of revolutionary musical theater that Tony voters love to swing for (like Avenue Q or The Lion King). But the material may be too risque for some voters, so the more conservative crowd will go for Gardens. Then again, RENT was very controversial, and it won in 1996, so I stick by my prediction that Spring will take the grand prize.

Best New Play

The Coast of Utopia
Frost/Nixon
The Little Dog Laughed
Radio Golf


Who will win: The Coast of Utopia
Who should win: The Coast of Utopia


While Radio Golf is August Wilson's final play and his last chance to win a Tony for a new work, and Frost/Nixon is a hit show all-around, nothing can beat Utopia's three-part series. The daunting nature of this show alone is enough for it to sweep the Play categories in my opinion. It is being considered as an entire series, not based on its individual installments. Therefore, if something else wins it will be a huge upset.


Best Musical Revival

The Apple Tree
A Chorus Line
Company
110 in the Shade


Who will win: A Chorus Line OR 110 in the Shade
Who should win: Company


A Chorus Line is by far the most popular show in this series, but it is a mere recreation of the original production. 110 boasts some impressive performances, but has gotten largely lackluster reviews. While Company's unique performer/musician duality is nothing new after last year's Sweeney Todd, I think it should still win in terms of the best recreation of a musical (even though it has already been revived on Broadway before).

Best Play Revival

Inherit the Wind
Journey's End
Talk Radio
Translations


Who will win: Inherit the Wind
Who should win: Journey's End


I think this show will win because of its creativity with having audience members onstage, as well as the performers (Brian Dennehy and Christopher Plummer). But I think Journey's End is more deserving of the title, possibly just because I read Inherit in high school and was bored to tears, and it just seems like a smaller yet more daunting project. Although the only play I've seen in this category is Talk Radio, it is not inventive and extravagant enough to take Best Revival (its main draw is its performers). So Inherit will take the prize, but Journey should take it.

Best Special Theatrical Event
Jay Johnson: The Two and Only!
Kiki & Herb Alive on Broadway

Who will win: Jay Johnson
Who should win: Kiki & Herb

The Tony voters will have to decide to give an award to a wooden puppet, or a drag queen. They will choose the puppet. I think in the case of Special Theatrical Event, the voters will side with a legend rather than new, fresh, unique talent.

Best Leading Actor in a Musical

Michael Cerveris, LoveMusik
Raul Esparza, Company
Jonathan Groff, Spring Awakening
Gavin Lee, Mary Poppins
David Hyde Pierce, Curtains


Who will win: David Hyde Pierce
Who should win: Raul Esparza


I think the prize could actually go to Esparza because he provides the strongest and most passionate performance (although Groff, the obvious underdog, also gives a passionate performance). But Pierce has so much hype surrounding his performance, I wouldn't be surprised if they go with him. While Curtains is up for 8 awards, I think this could be one of the only ones they have a good chance of winning.

Best Leading Actress in a Musical

Laura Bell Bundy, Legally Blonde
Christine Ebersole, Grey Gardens
Audra McDonald, 110 in the Shade
Debra Monk, Curtains
Donna Murphy, LoveMusik


Who will win: Christine Ebersole
Who should win: Christine Ebersole


I don't think there is any question that she will take this category. She's been playing the role for around 2 years now I think, and there has not been one negative review of her. She plays 2 women in the show who existed in real life, and to pull it off with such success is a big feat. Despite the amazing other nominees in the category, Ebersole makes the biggest transformation. I think the runner up would be Audra McDonald, but girlfriend already has 4 awards, so she won't be missing out too much on this one.

Best Leading Actor in a Play

Boyd Gaines, Journey's End
Frank Langella, Frost/Nixon
Brian F. O'Byrne, The Coast of Utopia
Christopher Plummer, Inherit the Wind
Liev Schreiber, Talk Radio


Who will win: Frank Langella
Who should win: Frank Langella


Again, he has the most hype surrounding him, and for good reason. They brought the show over from London with the original stars, and he is getting rave reviews. O'Byrne deserves recognition for conquering the beast of the play for which he is nominated, and Schreiber also gives an amazing and raw performance. But Langella is a shoe-in.

Best Leading Actress in a Play

Eve Best, A Moon for the Misbegotten
Swoosie Kurtz, Heartbreak House
Angela Lansbury, Deuce
Vanessa Redgrave, The Year of Magical Thinking
Julie White, The Little Dog Laughed


Who will win: Angela Lansbury OR Julie White
Who should win: Julie White


Julie White was hilarious in this play, but the fact that it didn't do so well in box office sales and popularity could end up hurting her chances. Lansbury, the icon, on the other hand, could take the prize regardless of what she does onstage. The woman could cough and they would fork over an award. And while Redgrave and Kurtz carried a show on their backs and Best reprises her role opposite a daunting performance by Spacey, White was almost the only good thing said about her show.

Best Featured Actor in a Musical

Brooks Ashmanskas, Martin Short: Fame Becomes Me
Christian Borle, Legally Blonde
John Cullum, 110 in the Shade
John Gallagher, Jr., Spring Awakening
David Pittu, LoveMusik


Who will win: David Pittu
Who should win: John Gallagher, Jr.


David Pittu has gotten amazing reviews, and I wouldn't be surprised if he was chosen to represent LoveMusik in their wins. Ashmanskas is being nominated for a musical sketch comedy show starring a man who was not even nominated, Borle is cute and sweet in Blonde but not a total standout by any means, and Cullum is a legend performing in a lukewarm musical revival. Gallagher is the major underdog of the season, and while his performance is a bit unconventional, it is raw and emotional. He could very well be recognized, which would be great because he deserves it, but Pittu is a bit more middle road.

Best Featured Actress in a Musical

Charlotte d'Amboise, A Chorus Line
Rebecca Luker, Mary Poppins
Orfeh, Legally Blonde
Mary Louise Wilson, Grey Gardens
Karen Ziemba, Curtains


Who will win: Mary Louise Wilson
Who should win: Mary Louise Wilson


This seems like another shoe-in category. Wilson gives a standout performance, and for her to be able to stand out next to Ebersole means she's really good. She has been with the show since its inception and has been a major draw for the show. If there is some sort of upset, the award should go to d'Amboise, but may be given to Ziemba for their supporting performances and strong dance skills.

Best Featured Actor in a Play

Anthony Chisholm, Radio Golf
Billy Crudup, The Coast of Utopia
Ethan Hawke, The Coast of Utopia
John Earl Jelks, Radio Golf
Stark Sands, Journey's End


Who will win: Stark Sands
Who should win: Stark Sands


Sands is the standout in his play, and with the dark set, lighting, and material, provides a shining performance, and should be recognized for it. Both Crudup and Hawke deserve ovations for the monster of a show they conquered, but it was also a bit of an ensemble piece, so for one of the two to standout over the other and the rest of the cast is difficult. The two men from Radio Golf are supposed to be phenomenal, and one of them could very well take it, but it's always tricky when two people from the same show are nominated in the same category.

Best Featured Actress in a Play

Jennifer Ehle, The Coast of Utopia
Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Dana Ivey, Butley
Jan Mexawell, Coram Boy
Martha Plimpton, The Coast of Utopia


Who will win: Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy
Who should win: Xanthe Elbrick, Coram Boy


Elbrick plays a young boy who excels at the violin in a show that was applauded by critics but closed early due to low ticket sales. She will represent the show in the acting categories. The Utopia women face the same problems as the men...not sure if the men played different roles in the three installments like the women did, but the women will have to have one-upped each other in order to win the grand prize.

Best Direction of a Musical

John Doyle, Company
Scott Ellis, Curtains
Michael Greif, Grey Gardens
Michael Mayer, Spring Awakening


Who will win: Michael Mayer
Who should win: John Doyle


Mayer will win for directing the adaptation of the musical from the 19th c. play, with extreme contrasts from classical dialogue to contemporary musical performances. His ability to mold the young and vastly inexperienced actors for the show, as well as to develop it so fully over time will give him the reward. Doyle, having been awarded for the same style of adaptation at last years ceremony, will be overlooked for doing the same thing this year, but is equally deserving of the title.

Best Direction of a Play

Michael Grandage, Frost/Nixon
David Grindley, Journey's End
Jack O'Brien, The Coast of Utopia
Melly Still, Coram Boy

Who will win: Jack O'Brien
Who should win: Jack O'Brien OR Melly Still


O'Brien will (and should) be rewarded for his direction of the three part marathon play, but Still has been praised by her actors for her work in Coram Boy, so she may prove to take the prize for mounting the revolutionary play. She could be given the highest level of recognition the show received, since it was not eligible for Best Play.


Best Choreography

Rob Ashford, Curtains
Matthew Bourne and Stephen Mear, Mary Poppins
Bill T. Jones, Spring Awakening
Jerry Mitchell, Legally Blonde


Who will win: Bourne & Mear
Who should win: Bourne & Mear

Jones's modern and lyric choreography is unlike anything on Broadway, and definitely enhances the shows effective message. Mitchell's energetic choreography delivers in the same way as his Tony winning work on Hairspray. Ashfords grand choreography fits in perfectly with the traditional musical theater style of Curtains. But Bourne & Mear not only deliver with their lavish and complicated choreography in Poppins, they combine multiple styles throughout the show, from the ballet and jazz moves of the chimney sweeps to the contemporary 'Supercalifragi-however you spell it.'

Best Score

Fred Ebb, John Kander & Rupert Holmes, Curtains
Scott Frankel and Michael Korie, Grey Gardens
Laurence O'Keefe and Neil Benjamin, Legally Blonde
Duncan Sheik and Steven Sater, Spring Awakening


Who will win: Spring Awakening
Who should win: Spring Awakening


Nothing compares to Sheik & Saters music and lyrics for Spring, and it actually embodies the essence of the show. Not only effective in its message, it is also the biggest draw to the show, and sums up the main element of the show. Grey Gardens also deserves the award, but its simplicity will cost it the prize.

Best Orchestrations

Bruce Coughlin, Grey Gardens
Duncan Sheik, Spring Awakening
Jonathan Tunick, LoveMusik
Jonathan Tunick, 110 in the Shade


Who will win: Grey Gardens
Who should win: Grey Gardens


The music in Grey Gardens deserves to be recognized, and honestly Best Score or Best Orchestrations could go to either Gardens or Spring. but I don't think one will get both. Spring deserves the Score award more than Gardens, so I give Gardens the Orchestrations prize.

Best Scenic Design of a Musical

Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Christine Jones, Spring Awakening
Anna Louizos, High Fidelity
Allen Moyer, Grey Gardens


Who will win: Mary Poppins
Who should win: Mary Poppins


Even though Spring Awakening features a platform that raises out of the stage suspended by rope and furniture and decorations attached to the wall (including a chair 15 feet in the air which an actor sits on), and the set of Grey Gardens features an entire lush living room, and backyard, nothing can compare to the magic of Disney. Reminiscent of Beauty & the Beasts's castle advancing and retreating onstage, Poppins repeatedly constructs an entire house, complete with a 3 ton rooftop which flies in and out that the actors sit upon, a man who tap dances on the ceiling of the proscenium, and Mary herself flying out through the roof at the back of the mezzanine. If there is only one shoe-in this year, this is it.

Best Scenic Design of a Play

Bob Crowley & Scott Pask, The Coast of Utopia
Jonathan Fensom, Journey's End
David Gallo, Radio Golf,
Ti Green & Melly Still, Coram Boy


Who will win: The Coast of Utopia
Who should win: The Coast of Utopia


Just like it's actors and director, Utopia's creative team deserves major recognition for mounting sets for three separate installments of a trilogy. And while Coram Boy is revolutionary for the world of Plays, Radio Golf's set is unbelievably detailed, and Journey's End manages to transform the stage into a World War I bunker, Utopia and Poppins' Bob Crowley transforms the entire space, and in Utopia, does it threefold.

Best Costume Design of a Musical

Gregg Barnes, Legally Blonde
Bob Crowley, Mary Poppins
Susan Hilferty, Spring Awakening
William Ivey Long, Grey Gardens

Who will win: Mary Poppins OR Grey Gardens
Who should win: Mary Poppins

Although Grey Gardens and Spring Awakening's costumes stay true to the time period, and Legally Blonde's threads are as bright and flashy as its star and choreography (and I think a great deal of the ensemble's costumes are store bought), nothing can match up to the bold and intricate details of Crowley's work for Poppins. From jackets that are bedazzled with hundreds of hand placed crystals, to the inner silk lining of the jackets which never see the light onstage, Crowley goes for more than theatrical show...he completes the costumes and assists the performers in completely transforming into their characters.

Best Costume Design of a Play
Ti Green and Melly Still, Coram Boy
Jane Greenwood, Heartbreak House
Santo Loquasto, Inherit the Wind
Catherine Zuber, The Coast of Utopia

Who will win: Heartbreak House
Who should win: Heartbreak House

And interesting thing I recently found out is that hair and make-up achievements are summed up in the awards for Best Costumes. Therefore, Heartbreak House should win because of the intricacies of the period costumes, and also for the extravagant wigs.

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Kevin Adams, Spring Awakening
Christopher Akerlind, 110 in the Shade
Howard Harrison, Mary Poppins,
Peter Kaczorowski, Grey Gardens

Who will win: Grey Gardens OR Spring Awakening
Who should win: Spring Awakening

Grey Gardens deserves some sort of nod for its creative team, and given the other contenders in the category, Best Lighting seems it. Their use of gobos and mood lighting is effective in the contrast between the first and second acts. Spring Awakening, however, combines lighting effects for mood setting in the plot scenes, and effects reminiscent of a rock concert during the musical performance. Their contrasts could help Spring take the prize for this category as well.

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, Coram Boy
Brian MacDevitt, Inherit the Wind
Brian MacDevitt, Kenneth Posner, Natasha Katz, Coast of Utopia
Jason Taylor, Journey's End

What will win: Coram Boy
What should win: Coram Boy

Coram Boy has the most dramatic lighting of all of these plays. The others attempt to fully transform the stage into the setting with the help of the scenic design. Coram Boy's lighting, on the other hand, excels beyond setting the scene and provides dramatic lighting and effects to give a very cinematic and grand theatrical look.

Movie Musicals...past their prime

It seems as though more and more musicals based on films continue to leak through the cracks and hit the mainstream (which, along with Disney's role in reinventing Broadway and Times Square alike, is most likely the main contributing factor to the shift in focus from talent to spectacle on Broadway), despite the notion being a bit past its prime.

I recently read an article on http://www.playbill.com that announced renouned director Trevor Nunn will be helming a musical adaptation of Gone With the Wind. I couldn't help but groan to myself a little bit. I've also been reading about the development of John Waters' Cry Baby, which is having its out of town tryout at the La Jolla Playhouse, and moving to Broadway afterwards. I have enjoyed my fair share of movie musicals, but I do feel a bit sad that more original material is not being put out there.

Looking at a list of the 31 musicals on Broadway right now, 12 of them are based on movies of the same name, and 6 of them are based on real people and/or feature unoriginal music.

I look forward to the point where more original material is put out there, rather than adaptations of films and other unoriginal material.

Talk Radio

I am so happy that this was the last show I saw, because it was very inspiring. Completely different from any other shows I saw on this trip, it was so bare and raw.

The show is centered around Barry Champlain, a talk radio host in Cleveland Ohio, 1987. This entire production featured Liev Schreiber sitting at a desk with a microphone center stage, with a sound proof editing room behind him where characters came and went. Clocking in at only 1 hour, 40 minutes, we watched Champlain's life dissolve into a world of booze, drugs, depression, and loneliness as he pushed everyone in his life away.

The greatest thing about this production, not surprisingly, was Schreiber. His command and charsima onstage is uncanny, and I felt so priveleged to have the opportunity to see him live onstage. As he became increasingly inebriated throughout the show, Schreibers entire demeanor and physicality changed, until they switched the microphone back on and his character went back on air. His performance was so effective and captivating, I cannot imagine the show being as successful without him.

The supporting actors had fine moments themselves. Stephanie March (who I just found out is married to Bobby Flay) played the stations assistant, Linda MacArthur, who was in a sort of relationship with Champlain. Her desperation to be loved by him (or anyone, really) was palpable, and she did an excellent job of displaying her emotion on her face and her body for all to see. Michael Laurence played Stu Noonan, the producer of the radio show and Champlains close friend. Having worked together for quite some time on different shows at different stations, Noonan successfully interpreted his love/hate relationship with Champlain as a friend and a co-worker. His intenisty and emotion was strong and helped carry the secondary plotline. Peter Hermann played the hard-ass boss Dan Woodruff with such ease and confidence that, aside from Schreiber, he was the most believable character in the piece. Additional notice should be payed to the other members of the cast who, while they may not have had much (or any) stage time, provided the many voices of callers who interacted with Schreiber throughout the show.

The sheer simplicity and effectiveness of this show sets it apart drastically from everything else I saw on my trip. Blended with the execution of the stellar performances, I give the show an A. If you are in New York, go see it before it disappears for another 20 years.

Legally Blonde the...Musical?

ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD

Yeah, that's right, I saw Legally Blonde. It was a Wednesday matinee on May 23, and the funny thing is that I saw it after having lunch with my friend Jenn who couldn't stop venting about how musical theater has strayed from talent and is now focused more on spectacle and spending as much $ as you can. Needless to say, when she asked me what I was up to for the rest of the day and I said, "I'm going to see Legally Blonde the Musical!" it was a bit awkward.

There is a lot of hype surrounding this show (man, I'm ALL about the hype with these show reviews, aren't I?), but I didn't go in with any expectations. It is Jerry Mitchell's long awaited directorial debut, he choreographed it as well, it received positive reviews from its San Francisco tryout, and its leading lady, Laura Bell Bundy, is the only non-legend nominated for a Tony for Best Leading Actress in a Musical. No pressure, Legally Blonde. None at all.

I was especially curious to see this show for Bundy and the choreography. And I certainly was not disappointed.

I was sitting in the second row of the orchestra, which should be billed as obstructed view at the Palace Theater because the stage is set so high that all of the actors were cut off at their shins. This reminded me of the time I saw 42nd Street from the first row of the orchestra at the Hilton Theater (then the Ford Center for the Performing Arts) and I couldn't see anyone's feet...and it's a tap show! Anyway, despite our obstructed view and my sore neck at the end of the 2.5 hour show (some of thos sets are monstrosities), I was particularly impressed by the ensemble and their abilities to carry out Mitchell's choreography with such vigor and ease. There was tap, Irish clogging, hip-hop, jazz, break dancing, ballet, and any other style you can think og! This show had it all. The opening of Act II, "Whipped Into Shape" is a number where everyone is jumping rope the entire song...while singing and dancing. And not like dinky little hops...we're talking fitness video, break a sweat, get totally winded rope jumping. Seriously, that shit is NOT easy! But they make it look so fun and easy...but I was constantly reminded of the fact that this is one of the biggest and most complex choreographers in the business...I was similarly impressed when I saw Hairspray, and I just felt really lucky to have seen the show for the choreography alone!

Speaking of the ensemble, DAMN were they gorgeous! They were the best part of the show. I read an interview with Laura Bell Bundy where they asked her if it's hard to carry a show, and she said she is actually the one being carried, and it's totally true! Their energy and talent with both their dancing and singing was incomparable...if there was a Tony award for Best Ensemble (hey, why doesn't that exist?), they would definitely take the prize.

Laura Bell Bundy was quite good as well. Not to undermine the size of her role with what I just said above, she really didn't leave the stage once throughout the show (I've done that before, and it's NOT easy!). Her character and demeanor was cute, spontaneous, and energetic, and she even was able to adlib and milk a joke when one of the mics had static onstage, passing it off as someone passing gas. She is very charismatic onstage and will have a long career as a leading lady. My criticism of her performance, however, is that she didn't really bring anything new to the character. I still had Reese Witherspoon's Elle in the back of my head while I was watching. They talk about the musical being more complex and exploring the characters more stuff, but I feel like Bundy merely imitated the character. But then, is there any other way to play Elle Woods? I don't know if it was her choices or the nature of the show that I had a problem with.

The supporting characters were fun to watch as well. Christian Borle brought a freshness and confidence to his slightly-nerdy hearthrob leading man. His voice is pure and strong, and I enjoyed listening to him when he sang. Richard H. Blake was able to convey his asshole side very well with his character, although there wasn't much room in the script for him to develop his character and allow us to care about him for what he was. Michael Rupert was capable as the law school teacher who eventually underestimates Elle's power and intelligence, Nikki Snelson was sadly upstaged by her own abs as Brooke Wyndham, Kate Shindle captured the bitchiness of the competition (with some MAJOR chops! Whew, that girl could hit some notes!), and Andy Karl was hilarious (and sexy) as the UPS Delivery Man. Orfeh, who is nominated for a Tony for Best Supporting Actress in a Musical, impressed me with her vocal abilities, stage prescence and comedic timing, but I didn't feel like she was very electric. There is usually a supporting actor who holds the ability to steal the focus from the lead and take the show, and if anyone did that, it was either Kate Shindle or the Delta Trio. Speaking of the Delta Trio, they were one of the best parts of the show. Acting as Elle's conscience, Dequina Moore, Leslie Kritzer and Annaleigh Ashford were so spot on and hilarious as the featured sorority girls. I couldn't stop laughing at their tiny nuances (definitely a perk for sittig so close up).

All in all this show gets a B from me. While I was not moved by its emotional depth or anything, I had fun and enjoyed the show for what it's worth: A bubble gum pop musical with outstanding talent all around, and plenty of $ to shell out.

Spring Awakening

ATTENTION: SPOILERS AHEAD

If I surrounded Altar Boyz with a ton of hype before I saw it, it paled in comparison to the hype that surrounds Spring Awakening. I was anticipating this show to be such a huge and amazing experience that I even tried going to the show a day before I was supposed to (my tickets were for Monday night, but I headed over there on Sunday night instead). I just couldn't wait to see this show...but I ended up having to, and on Monday, May 21, I finally saw the show I was so anxious to see.

The brilliance of this show begins with the writing...definitely not the original play (oh boy, I'll get to that later), but the creative team for this production were so creative in their execution, and it is unlike anything I have ever seen on Broadway. The combination of the classic dialogue, costumes, and characters, blended with a contemporary rock/folk score, lighting, set, and vocals creates a unique and rewarding theatrical experience all around.

Many people are calling this show "RENT for the new generation," which in itself is a bit disconcerting to me because I was part of the RENT generation and it makes me feel old, as well as scared that the message of "No Day But Today," is dwindling and soon be forgotten altogether. Indeed, the show has the same bare and powerful feel that RENT has, but its true message speaks to the universality of the sexual awakening in teenagers, as well as the growing rift between youth and their elders (while I believe RENT's messages are universal as well, I feel like Spring is touching on a new subject that people have been dealing with forever with the relationship between youth and their elders, teen sex and pregnancy, suicide, etc., and RENT's universal message were more cutting edge and new).

Duncan Sheik's score is rockin' from beginning to end, although it does falter a bit in the middle due to plot developments (more on that later, also). His contemporary orchestrations, powered by the accompaniment and vocals provides a throughline like nothing of its kind, and makes the entire theatrical experience highly effective.
The thing that truly makes this show worthwhile is the talent that spills their hearts out 8 times a week. Two of the actors, John Gallagher Jr. and Jonathan Groff, are nominated for Tony's, and they are well deserved. Gallagher provides a heartfelt, disturbing, commited, and surged performances as Moritz, the doomed yet blissfully naive adolescent. And Groff's portrayal of Melchior is strong, sexy, and electric (although he has a spitting problem. Sitting in the front row of the orchestra, the only thing I could think of when he crossed downstage was "Please don't let him start to sing."). Unfortunately for the third principal, Lea Michele, whose heart-breaking and passionate performance as Wendla, was overlooked for a Tony nomination. Unlike the rest of the cast, Michele has been with the show since its inception, through countless workshops, readings and productions (now 20, she has been with the show since 14). And it is safe to say that in any other year, she would definitely be in the running for a Best Actress nod, but unfortunately with the divas on the Great White Way this season, this newcomer (well, relatively new) didn't stand a chance.

Although I feel most of the supporting plotlines were vastly overlooked and overshadowed by Wendla, Moritz, and Melchior's tracks (again, more on that later), the supporting actors helped carry this show along until the final blackout. They all had great pop/rock voices, especially Skylar Astin. His song, "Touch Me" is among my favorite in the show, and his raw and solid performance started the chills that continued through the end of the show.

Surprisingly, one of my favorite staging moments was at the opening of the show. Wendla sings a ballad while standing on top of a chair and exploring her body. The other girls join her onstage for an uptempo version of the same song, and it was the first point in the show where I thought, "Ok, I'm on board with this." And in addition to "Mama Who Bore Me" and "Touch Me," Melchior's song "The Mirror-Blue Night," when he is hoisted up on a platform and does an interpretive dance while hovering above the stage while blue lights descend from the fly system was really awesome to watch (it sounds really awful and cheesy right now...guess you had to be there).

And there's nudity. And sex. Lots of sex. Very graphic sex. With boobs and butts in the air.

With all this great stuff going on, it may be shocking to learn that there were some major issues with this show. While I haven't read the play the musical is adapted from, I think it is safe to say that most of the issues I have are with the story itself, and not this musical production. The supporting characters begin to have character developments and their plots are touched on briefly. Then, with the events of the Act I finale into Act II, all other characters and plots are put on the back burner except for that of the three principal roles. And seriously, Wendla, how could you NOT figure out how to make babies?? The guy who boned you was even tutoring Moritz on the damn stuff! And further, the show seemed to be ending on a really uplifting, proactive point, with Melchior deciding to 'stick it to the man' and fight for his beliefs and the memory of Moritz and Wendla. My interest was all of a sudden peaked again (it was dwindling throughout the second act), and I thought something interesting was going to happen at the end. Instead, the lights go black, come up, and everyone sings about Purple Summer. What the fuck is purple summer anyway? And although I couldn't speak higher of Sheiks score, the sparce plot apparently calls for dreary ballads that, while beautifully sung with conviction by Michele, were there to further the plot and nothing more. So while the show took off like a rocket musically, It reached a peak in the middle of the first act, and went downhill until the finale, with a tiny bump in the middle with the exciting "Totally Fucked" (which is fun to listen to, but gains a new sense of appreciation and humor when put into context with the plot).

Overall I'd give this show a B+. I wish I could give it an A-, or even an A, but the plot just made it too hard to stay with the show through the end. The plot was sparce and predictable, and even Sheiks songwriting couldn't save my mind from wandering and my attention to go from the plot to the actors, costumes, set, band, etc.

Altar Boyz

Finally getting around to reviewing the shows I saw in NYC...Altar Boyz was first. I saw the 8PM performance on Saturday, May 19.

I knew a lot about this show going into it, but had never seen it before. I own the soundtrack, have seen videos, and have auditioned for the show before. So I already knew all about the premise and a lot of the jokes that were coming my way.

I think I set the bar too high for the production, because I was a bit disappointed by what I saw. I suppose I was going to enjoy great performances, and it's not that the performances weren't great, they just didn't impress me as much as I wanted them to.

I saw an understudy for Mark, who I think is the funniest character out of the bunch, and I didn't think he was that great. He was really good considering he understudies half of the roles in the show (and with the choreography and vocals it's not even an easy feat to understudy ONE role), but I think I would have enjoyed the show much better if I saw the actor who plays him on a regular basis.

The actors who played Juan and Abraham had seemingly just joined the production from the national tour, since there were inserts in the program saying "The role of [Juan/Abraham] will now be played by ___" and the program still had the old actors listed. They were good in their own right (although I found Juan to be particularly hoaky), but Abraham stood out above most of the cast. His role is kind of cast in the shadows throughout most of the show, but then he "saves the day" at the end of the show, and begins the finale. I was quite impressed with the quality of his voice, and I wondered where it was the rest of the show!

I didn't like the guy who played Luke at all. Even though the role is supposed to be kind of dumber than the rest, and he is the kid in the boyband that does the rapping and breakdancing, I was not impressed by his acting, singing, or dancing talent. I guess I should give them all more credit than I am, however, because I thought they sounded fine as a group, just not solo.

The saving grace of this performance was Matthew, played by Kyle Dean Massey. Not only was he drop dead gorgeous and didn't appear to have one ounce of fat on his body, he was the most talented dancer out of the bunch, and definitely the best singer (which was especially evident in "I Believe," the finale). His acting was a bit cheesy, but so was everyone else's, so I dismissed it as the nature of the material. And I will also say he was also the most flamboyant one of the group, which is funny because Mark's character is all about being very out there and flaming! I was surprised to see the small credits he has to his name...lots of regional ensemble and supporting stuff. I'm glad he finally gets the opportunity to strut his stuff in a leading role. I did read that he is joining the Wicked touring company in June, though, so hopefully he will have more to do than just ensemble work.

All in all, I give the show a B-/C+. The cast was completely competent, but were unable to provide the Wow Factor for me. But with all of this said, the show itself is brilliant, and a lot of fun. I would definitely be interested in seeing the show again sometime and seeing how it compares.

Broadway Headliners

• Move over, Wicked. There's a new budget breaker in town (well, sort of). The new production of The Lord Of The Rings is now in previews in London at the Theater Royal, Drury Lane (where I saw the amazing Witches of Eastwick in 2000, but that's a different story). The $23 million budget (that's right, with the zeros that's $23,000,000..six of 'em) nearly doubles out the meak $14 million of Wicked, which is now only the most expensive show in Broadway history, not theater history.
  The show is not coming at a price, both for the investors' pocket books and the actors. The May 31 and June 1 performances were cancelled due to an incident where an actor's leg became caught in the hydraulic stage. Adam Salter was heard screaming, "My leg! My leg" before the curtain was promptly dropped and the rest of the performance was cancelled. Ouch.
  Performances were set to resume at the June 2 matinee after the staging was modified to prevent further casualties. It will officially open June 19. Still sound daunting? Well don't worry, although the musical combines the entire LOTR series into one production, the London production clocks in at 3 hours, a full 40 minutes shorter than the world premiere Toronto production. That alone should boost the ticket sales!
• The London production of Disney's Mary Poppins posted its closing notice yesterday, announcing the show will close January 12, 2008, just over three years since its opening. A UK and international tour is in the works. That means you only have 6 more months to see Gavin Creel (who literally ran away from my parents when they saw the show and tried to get his autograph...but we still love him) pretend to be British...maybe they will convince him to come to the US and play the role on Broadway. Then they could do an American Poppins, just like the British production of Wicked in London. Hmm, or maybe not.
• Vantriliquist Jay Johnson is bringing his "one-man" show, Jay Johnson-The Two and Only! back to New York. No, not Broadway, thank God, but a tour starting in Ithaca, NY. Apparently his 30% attendance rate (and lower by the time the show closed) wasn't enough of a sign to put his little buddy back in the box...
• The Paper Mill Playhouse, the popular New Jersey regional not-for-profit theater that has been in financial crisis for the last few months, finally received a $3.5 million loan from Investors Savings Bank. In a statement Paper Mill chairman of the board Ken Thorn said, "This is the first step in a long-range plan to revitalize the Playhouse and ensure the theatre's financial stability." The loan will help the theatre not only mount its final production of the season, Pirates!, but prepare for the launch of the 2007-2008 theatre season.
  I think this is great. I have grown up hearing about Paper Mill, and hope to once chance be able to perform there. I know tons of the big Broadway performers there were able to get their careers kick-started thanks to the Playhouse (including Gavin Creel, Kristin Chenoweth, John Lloyd Young, and more), so it's been really great to see so many people come out to support one of the biggest regional theaters in the nation. I just hope they are able to overcome their troubles and stay in business!
• The after-hours comedy revue, Don't Quit Your Night Job will end its run on June 4, just a few weeks after beginning its commercial run. The revue was initially started as a benefit for Wendy Wasserstein's Open Doors program, became a monthly installment at Joe's Pub, and officially opened a 6 performance-a-week schedule at the Ha! Comedy Club on May 17. So much for people thinking Broadway performers are funny, huh? The craziest thing is that creator Sarah Saltzberg is listed as performing at the show each night, as well as in Spelling Bee in LA. She certainly gives the term "bi coastal" a new meaning!
• A revival of Terrance McNally's The Ritz is set for Studio 54 October 11 through December 2. Produced by Roundabout, the show will star Rosie Perez, Kevin Chamberlin, and Brooks Ashmankas. A chica from the hood, a fat guy, and a Martin Short wannabe. Director Joe Mantello certainly has his hands full...

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee

I know I'm overdue for my reviews on recent movies and shows that I saw, including those in NYC, but I feel compelled to write about the current LA production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which is playing for 4 weeks with the original Broadway cast at the Wadsworth Theater.

Going in to the show, I was familiar with the music (beautifully written by William Finn), the characters (in all their crazy and wacky glory), and the overall look and flow of the show (taking audience members and having them participate in the Bee). I'm not sure if it was the original cast with their perfected characters, but I was not prepared to be laughing out loud the entire time! Has it really been that long since I've been surprised by a musical? The last shows I've seen in LA were Wicked and The Light In The Piazza, both of which I had seen before. In New York, I was so familiar with Altar Boyz that nothing came as a surprise for me, and with Spring Awakening and Legally Blonde I was so close that I paid more attention to the little nuances of the show than the show itself.

The great thing about Spelling Bee is the audience participation, which adds a whole new element to musical theater and allows the actors to improv to their hearts content. The entire time I was watching the show I kept thinking, "This would be so much fun!"

By far the highlight of the show was getting the opportunity to see the original cast. I can't even pick any out as standing out above the rest because they were all so good, and you could tell how close knit of a group they are. The only non-original cast member was the guy playing Mitch Mahoney, who came from the (apparently recently ended) national tour. He was pretty good, but his voice seemed to be going, and he sounded like he was pushing a lot. Jesse Tyler Ferguson was hilarious as Leaf Coneybear, and I think it would be hard to re-create the character without taking a lot of what he contributed to the role. His wackiness was brilliant, so it's no surprise that he was picked up from the show for The Class, and actually had the role on the sitcom created for him. I think I was most ecstatic to see Celia Keenan-Bolger as Olive Ostrovsky. She is such an up and coming star, and she is so talented and so cute. Her character's song, "The I Love You Song," was my favorite moment of the show. She played the role with such honesty, conviction, and tenderness and she reminded me of the kid in your class who you almost feel bad for because of how soft spoken and shy she is. Deborah S. Craig as Marcy Park was hilarious, and man did the Asian jokes fly throughout the show! Her song about singing 6 languages (NOT 5. Get it right) was perfect, right down to the old school hip hop choreography, panty flashing, and splits. For a character I underestimated and never really paid much attention to, she blew me away! Dan Fogler, who won the Tony for his portrayal of William Barfee (if only I had the ability to type an accent aigu), was pretty much brilliant, and I can't really imagine a different interpretation of the character. Every little nuance, from his mental intensity to his fancy footwork to his cracked out vibrato impressed me. Lisa Howard has a beautiful voice, and was an excellent "den mother" as Rona Lisa Peretti. Seriously, every time she opened her mouth to sing I got chills. I'm so happy she is on the recording of the show. Jay Reiss as Vice Principal Douglas Panch had a lot of pressure on him to carry the show, both with the characters as well as the audience participants, and he did a marvelous job. His monotone improving and impeccable comedic timing contributed to most of the laughs from the audience, and his Drama Desk Award is well deserved. Jose Llana was awesome as Chip Tolentino. He perfectly embodied the pubescent nature of the characters at that age, complete with his impressive rendition of "My Unfortunate Erection." Classic. Sarah Saltzberg was so cute as Logainne Schwartzandgrubinierre. What I find even more impressive than her lisp was the fact that she was in NYC just last week opening the commercial run of her improv comedy show Don't Quit Your Night Job at the Ha! Comedy Club.

And I guess that about covers it. It definitely has moved up the list of my favorite shows, and I look forward to getting the chance to see future productions. It is so fresh and easy to incorporate current events and local jokes (in this production, Leaf Coneybear was the 2nd runner up in the Topanga Canyon Bee, and he had the opportunity to come because the first place winner was having her Bat Mitzfah, and the second place winner had to attend the Bat Mitzfah), so it is safe to say the show will have a long life to come...