Get Ready For Ghost The Musical

On Thursday night I got a sneak peek of Ghost The Musical at the Ghost Light Sessions. The event kicked off with a cocktail called "The Unchained Melody" made from Frozen Ghost Vodka (that's a real thing!), sweet and sour mix, blue curacao, and pineapple juice. I assume they will be selling these at the theater and if you don't mind girly/bright green drinks, I recommend.

We were then treated to some performances and introduced to the creative team. First up, stars Richard Fleeshman and Caissie Levy sang "Here Right Now." It's hard to really get a sense of the musical from out-of-context songs, but this was my favorite number of the evening. I also enjoyed hearing from book writer and lyricist Bruce Joel Rubin, who also wrote the screenplay for the movie. One of the most famous lines in the movie is when Molly says, "I love you," and Sam answers with, "Ditto." It was interesting to hear that Rubin was reluctant about a musical because he thought it would be people just singing, "Ditto. Ditto. Ditto." He also explained that this line came from his personal life, since he had a hard time saying the words, "I love you."

Here are a few more photos from the event (by the way, my camera kind of sucks and there was a wire in our way, so I apologize for the quality of the pictures):
Music producer/arranger Glen Ballard and The Eurythmics' Dave Stewart, who wrote the score of the musical:
(from left to right) Director Matthew Warchus, Bryce Pinkham, who plays Carl Bruner, Fleeshman, Levy, Da'Vine Joy Randolph, who plays Oda Mae Brown, and one of the producers:
The reason I'm most interested in Ghost the Musical is the special effects, but that will have to wait until the show starts performances (previews begin March 15 at the Lunt-Fontanne Theatre, officially opening on April 23). To see the Ghost Light Sessions for yourself, tune in on Facebook on Tuesday, January 24 at 9 a.m., 4:30 p.m., and 9 p.m. EST. In the meantime, check out the trailer:

A New Theater Festival

Times Square isn't usually the place for works that challenge the status quo, but that is the mission of the new Times Square International Festival at the Roy Arias Studios. The other part of the mission is to keep the shows affordable and ticket prices are $18 in advance, $20 at the door, and $12 for students and seniors.

Superman 2050 in Union Station, Chicago, IL, July 2011: Marc Frost, Lily Emerson, Thomas Kelly, Melissa Cameron, Brittany Bookbinder, Kathleen Wrinn, Becky McNamara
I only had a chance to see one of the 14 shows presented--a really fun show called Superman 2050 from Theater Un-Speak-Able in Chicago. Seven actors perform on a 3' by 7' platform. It takes place in Metropolis in the year 2050 and in addition to playing characters like Clark Kent (Marc Frost), Lois Lane (Kathleen Wrinn), Jimmy Olsen (Brittany Bookbinder), and Lex Luthor (Thomas Kelly), the actors also act as set and props.

The festival ends tomorrow, but if you don't have any Sunday plans, I encourage you to check it out (Superman 2050 has a show at 7 p.m.), or at least keep it on your radar for next year.

Photo credit: Photographer Max Dionne

On A Clear Day: What Went Wrong

On A Clear Day You Can See Forever will close on January 29, after 29 previews and 57 regular performances. The show opened at the St. James Theatre on December 11 to negative reviews. Having seen the show in previews, I wasn't surprised by the response, but over the summer, I was expecting it to be a highlight of the Broadway season. As a member of the Vineyard last season, I had the opportunity to see the promising lab production. But while I still loved a lot of the individual elements on Broadway, as a whole, the production just didn't work. So what changed? Basically, the lab worked because it felt more like a concert. The score (music by Burton Lane and Alan Jay Lerner) is absolutely gorgeous, but once the show was fully staged, it kind of fell apart.

The show now takes place in the '70s instead of the '60s (the original opened on Broadway in 1965). In the revised story (Peter Parnell updated Alan Jay Lerner's book), Dr. Mark Bruckner (Harry Connick, Jr.) uses hypnosis to get David Gamble (David Turner) to quit smoking. While David is hypnotized, he starts speaking as his former self from a past life--female jazz singer Melinda Wells (star-to-be Jessie Mueller). The story is a still a bit muddled owing partly to the fact that David and Melinda are played by two separate people. When watching the lab production, I guess I figured that director Michael Mayer would somehow brilliantly solve all the issues, but the staging was clunky, and I think a lot of that had to do with the set. Mayer's creative team has done wonderful work by him in the past in shows like American Idiot and Spring Awakening, but here, they miss the mark, especially Christine Jones's optical illusion eyesore of a set (see photo), in which pieces of furniture would come on and off in the center of the stage, not allowing for much in the way of inventive staging.

In the workshop, Dr. Bruckner was played by Marc Kudisch, who seemed more comfortable in the role. Still, Connick sings like a dream and so does Mueller. Turner is delightful. I may have wanted more from On A Clear Day, but I appreciate that it was trying to push the envelope and would have liked to see it hold on a little longer. I hope it at least gets a cast recording so the best part of the show can be preserved.

Photo credit: Paul Kolnik

My Introduction To Godspell

I've been really excited for Godspell basically since it was announced. Many of the cast members (Lindsay Mendez, Hunter Parrish, Nick Blaemire, etc.) have impressed me in other shows. I was fascinated by the People of Godspell and whether a community-produced Broadway musical could be a success for everyone involved. I love the show's social media campaign (see thee more clearly, love thee more dearly, follow thee more nearly) and the idea of a backstage lottery. I think one reason I put off seeing it for so long (the show opened November 7 at the Circle in the Square Theatre) was that I was afraid I wouldn't actually like it (I'm somewhat of an anomaly among theater fans as I've never seen or been in Godspell). I was mostly right--Godspell just isn't my kind of show--but I'm glad I finally saw it and I'm glad it was this production.

Godspell premiered off-Broadway in 1971. The musical with a score by Stephen Schwartz is based on the Gospel of St. Matthew and was originally conceived by book-writer John-Michael Tebelak as a thesis project. The actors--dressed as hippie clowns--use their real names except for Jesus (Hunter Parrish in this production) and Judas and John the Baptist (Wallace Smith) and act out parables. After an introduction with the cast dressed in suits, talking on cell phones and carrying briefcases with names like "L. Ron Hubbard," the show becomes thrilling as Smith sings the a cappella opening of "Prepare Ye" and is joined by the band and cast. But the joy of that first number gives way to dizzying scenes (Daniel Goldstein directs) and dated and unfunny pop culture references. Audience members occasionally are asked to participate in games like Pictionary and charades. It may seem like this show would be up my alley since I was such a huge fan of Hair, but the audience participation in that show seemed a more natural fit, and with the Godspell update, it was unclear why they were acting like hippies. Also, I felt an emotional attachment to the story in Hair, whereas here, to be honest, I didn't know what was going on half the time. I'm sure a lot of it is because I'm Jewish and did not grow up with any of these stories.

It's almost like I was watching two shows. If most of the book scenes were cut out, I might have loved it. The music is infectious and this cast can sing, especially Lindsay Mendez and Uzo Aduba. Towards the end, the show takes a turn for the serious, and a curious thing happened, I started to like it. From Parrish's "Beautiful City" to the crucifixion, all that silliness gives way to something simple and lovely. As morbid as this may sound, I felt the show ended on a high note and I left the theater thinking more about the positive aspects of the production than the negative. I probably never need to see a production of Godspell again, but I'll continue to enjoy the other show--the new marketing strategies, such as the Tuesday Night Talkbacks announced this week, which will feature a different cast member each week speaking about their experience in the show from audition stories to nightly routines.
Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

Contest: Win Tickets to Ionescopade!

Update: The contest is now closed. Thank you to everybody who entered. Congratulations Jerry!

I've been a fan of the York Theatre Company, which only produces musicals, since my first visit for a workshop of Yank! The latest York mainstage production is Ionescopade, A Musical Vaudeville, which premiered Off-Broadway in 1974 and presents a new look at the works of absurdist playwright Eugene Ionesco (The Bald Soprano, Rhinoceros, The Chairs, Exit the King). Music and lyrics are by Mildred Kayden.

To be entered to win a pair of tickets, tell me in the comments your favorite Ionesco play or the best production of an Ionesco play you've seen (if you're not familiar with his work, just tell me why you're interested in seeing the show). The winner will be chosen at random from the entries on Wednesday, January 18 at 5 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

SPECIAL OFFER: $40.00 tickets (regularly $67.50)

TO REDEEM: 1. Visit YorkTheatre.org and mention code IONESCOHHC

2. CALL 212-935-5820 and mention code IONESCOHHC

RESTRICTIONS: * Offer not valid in conjunction with any other offer or on previously purchased tickets. Subject to availability and prior sale. All sales final. No refunds or exchanges. Offer may be revoked at any time. Blackout dates may apply. Valid for performances through February 12; buy by February 3.

Lysistrata Jones: Is Fun Enough For Broadway?

Expectations can make all the difference in how you experience a show. I was expecting Bonnie and Clyde to be a disaster and I ended up liking it. I was all set for Lysistrata Jones to be my new favorite musical, and while I enjoyed myself, I left feeling disappointed. After a successful Transport Group run at the Gym at Judson this summer, Lysistrata Jones, which opened last night at the Walter Kerr Theatre, is now the lowest grossing show on Broadway. I am still rooting for it because I'd like to think that new musicals with no stars can succeed on Broadway, but as much as I want to tell you that I loved it, the best I can say is that it's a really fun show that could have used just a little more work.

If you took a sexed up High School Musical and combined it with Aristophanes' Lysistrata, you'd end up with Lysistrata Jones. Lyssie J (the always adorable Patti Murin) is a recent transfer student to Athens University. Her boyfriend Mick (Josh Segarra) is the team captain of the school basketball team, which hasn't won a game in 30 years. Lyssie forms a cheerleading squad with the other girlfriends of the basketball players, but when that fails to inspire them, feminist Robin (Lindsay Nicole Chambers) introduces her to Lysistrata (via Spark Notes). Lyssie convinces the other girls not to "give it up" until they win a game.

For all of the hilarity and originality of Douglas Carter Beane's book (and there is a lot of it), there are also some cheap laughs in the form of stereotypical characters that have been seen in countless teen movies. And while there is some great raunchy humor, the material is surprisingly safe. Lewis Flinn's score is appropriately poppy. Director Dan Knechtges's basketball choreography is a highlight of the show as is an absolutely charming dance performed by Jason Tam as nerdy activist Xander. Tam brought audiences to tears as Paul in A Chorus Line and here gets a chance to show that he is a gifted physical comedian as well. The young cast is talented and energetic and seem to be having a ball, but there are only 12 of them, leaving the stage feeling a bit empty.

As much as I like to think that there's room for everything on Broadway, some shows are better suited to smaller spaces. Lysistrata Jones could have probably done well in an off-Broadway commercial run. Is it too late for a transfer to New World Stages?

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Confession: I Enjoyed Bonnie & Clyde

Bonnie & Clyde wasn't everything that I wanted it to be, but I was entertained, I saw some great performers, and I was introduced to a memorable new Broadway score. That's more than I can say for many shows I've seen on Broadway. It certainly isn't the train wreck that some of the reviews make it out to be.

The musical Bonnie & Clyde--not based on the 1967 Arthur Penn movie starring Warren Beatty and Faye Dunaway--claims to be the most accurate telling of the story of bank robbers Bonnie Parker (Laura Osnes) and Clyde Barrow (Jeremy Jordan). The show starts off with a literal bang as the couple is shot to death in their car. At a talkback after, director Jeff Calhoun explained that he wanted to get that iconic image out of the way at the beginning to be able to tell the story without everyone waiting for that moment, which was a smart decision. From there, the show limps a bit as we have to put up with seeing Bonnie and Clyde as children (played by Talon Ackerman and Kelsey Fowler) dreaming big dreams. One thing the show gets right is that even though it explains how Bonnie and Clyde became killers--Clyde was driven to his first murder after being raped and beaten in prison--it doesn't try to justify or glorify their actions. The show paints them as celebrity driven from the beginning. Unfortunately because of all of this backstory, Ivan Menchell's book lacks a lot of the excitement you'd expect from a show about outlaws.

Jeff Calhoun's direction combined with the visual elements overcome a lot of the book problems. Aaron Rhyne's projections show images of the real Bonnie and Clyde and the depression era which add historic context. This is most compelling when mug shots are taken of characters on stage and the real mug shots are projected. And Frank Wildhorn's gospel and country-infused score is unlike anything he's ever done. It's catchy and at times quite lovely (just don't pay too much attention to Don Black's lyrics) and performed by the powerful voices of current Broadway It Boy Jordan and Osnes, who would probably be the sexiest on-stage couple on Broadway right now if not for Nina Arianda and Hugh Dancy in Venus in Fur. Claybourne Elder is appealing as Clyde's loyal brother Buck, but is underused. One of the best discoveries of the show is Melissa van der Schyff as Buck's wife Blanche--the most fascinating character in both the movie and the musical, even though van der Schyff makes the role her own (she has never seen the film).

Tickets to Bonnie & Clyde are only being sold through December 30 even though the show hasn't announced a closing notice (which seems like a terrible strategy, but I digress), so if you don't want to miss it, go now. You might find yourself being pleasantly surprised.

As I mentioned, after the show, we attended a talkback with Calhoun, scenic and costume designer Tobin Ost, Elder and van der Schyff. One of my favorite tidbits (aside from Calhoun honestly acknowledging how unfair he thought the reviews were) was that there was a song called "This Has Never Happened Before" about Clyde's impotence, but when they learned that the plot point was invented for the movie, they cut it. I hope to one day hear that song.

Later, Elder and van der Schyff ended up at our table, charming us with their Michael Crawford impressions. Elder told us about "Bits O' Buck"--a mason jar where he keeps the blood and brains that he scrapes off himself before curtain call (see a picture he tweeted here) And then Elder showed us a video that changed all our lives: "I Lost My Heart To A Starship Trooper" starring Phantom of the Opera's own Sarah Brightman. Watch it now. Your life will never be the same.

Photo credit: Nathan Johnson

Mamma Mia!: How Can I Resist You

In my lifetime, only two shows have played Broadway's Winter Garden Theatre, Cats (fun fact: Cats opened the month I was born) and Mamma Mia! Since I hadn't seen Cats until long after it had closed on Broadway and I'd only seen Mamma Mia! in its pre-Broadway Los Angeles run in 2001 and in London in 2003, the Winter Garden was the one hurdle keeping me from my goal of seeing a show in every current Broadway house. So when I got an invitation to a Mamma Mia! blogger night, I had to go check the Winter Garden off my list and of course, see how the show is doing after 10 years on Broadway.

Before the show, we were also invited to Two Boots to try out the new Mamma Mia! pizza--sopressata and sweet Italian sausage with red pepper pesto on a white pie. I don't eat meat, so I enjoyed a cheese slice, but the meat-eaters seemed to enjoy The Mamma Mia.

As for the show, you probably already know whether or not you're going to like it, depending on how you feel about ABBA music and jukebox musicals. I am in more in the "you already know you're going to love it" (the tagline of the show) camp. Look, it's not life-changing theater, but it is fun theater. It's escapist theater. It would also make for a good bachelorette party as it is about a wedding (plus, it has guys dancing in no shirts and scuba gear).

Mamma Mia! is about a young woman's quest to find her father before she gets married. On an island in Greece, 20-year-old bride-to-be Sophie (Liana Hunt) has never known who her father is, but she finds an old diary belonging to her mother Donna (Lisa Brescia) and figures out that she has three potential fathers. She invites them all to the wedding.

The best thing about the show is the way the ABBA songs are integrated into the plot. For example, when Donna's best friends are comforting her and they break out into "Chiquita." I enjoyed the show more the first time I saw it because of the element of surprise, but I still think it's a cleverly put-together show (Catherine Johnson wrote the book connecting the songs by Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaeus). I recently saw Jersey Boys again (also my first time seeing it on Broadway) and I think that has held up better, maybe because the costumes, sets, and dialogue aren't as cheesy, but it also hasn't been around as long.

If you've never seen the show or have been thinking of revisiting, Mamma Mia! is having its first ever winter sale. Every orchestra seat is $49 to $79 from January 9 to March 4, but you must purchase by December 24 (last minute Christmas or Chanukah gift, anyone?). Click here for full details.

Contest: Last Chance For Follies Tickets!

Update: The contest is now closed and the winner has been contacted. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Thank you to everybody who entered.

Follies, currently playing at the Marquis on Broadway, must end on January 22. If you've been putting off seeing it, you're running out of time. But I have some good news, Follies fans. Since the last Follies contest was so popular, I have a final pair of tickets to give away.

To be entered to win tickets, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (only one tweet or retweet will count for an extra entry). If you enter this way, you must be following me on Twitter to win. If you don't have a Twitter account, you can leave a comment here telling me why you want to win tickets. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. The contest will end on Friday, December 9 at 3 p.m. Good luck!

Special discount offer through December 25 only!

$97 Orch/Front Mezz (reg. $137) $74 (reg. $87) Mid Mezz

Click Here and enter code 3NEDEB

Call Ticketmaster at: 877-250-2929 and mention code 3NEDEB

Visit The Marquis Theater box office (46th between Broadway and 8th ave)

www.FolliesBroadway.com

*Restrictions and blackout dates may apply.

Review: The Cherry Orchard at CSC

Earlier this season, John Turturro directed the mostly forgettable Relatively Speaking on Broadway, but there is nothing forgettable about his performance as Lopakhin in Anton Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard at the Classic Stage Company. There is a moment when he breaks out in manic dance alone that perfectly captures Lopakhin, forever socially awkward.

For those unfamiliar with the play, a widow, Ranevskaya (an equally captivating Dianne Wiest), returns to her home in Russia after being away for years in France. She has fallen into debt and is soon to lose her estate and cherry orchard in an auction. Lopakhin, a wealthy merchant from poor beginnings, tries to convince her to cut down the cherry orchard and divide the land into lots to be leased out for summer cottages.

Translated by John Christopher Jones and directed by Andrei Belgrader, this Cherry Orchard is fast and funny, accessible and modern, clocking in at only two hours and 15 minutes including intermission. Though it highlights the comedic elements (Chechov did intend the play as a comedy), the suffering of the characters is not lost, thanks to some fine performances. Take Juliet Rylance, who plays Ranevskaya's daughter and housekeeper Varya. Rylance makes Varya's longing for Lopakhin, who everyone says she should marry though he never asks, palpable. Alvin Epstein as the old footman Fiers perhaps most exemplifies the dualities of the play--the comedy and heartbreak--as he shuffles across the stage muttering to himself.

The one misstep is the decision to break the fourth wall (usually done by Carlotta, the governess, played by Roberta Maxwell). It doesn't add anything to the production, which is already intimate enough without having to make the audience a part of it.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

Class Is In Session

An acting class is currently being given at the Golden Theatre, but it's in the guise of a play about writing and writers. That play is Theresa Rebeck's Seminar.

In the funny but slight play, Alan Rickman--best known for playing another professor--stars as Leonard, an author who has chosen four students to be a part of his writing seminar. Rickman should teach a master class in pausing--every pause has so much weight. Though Rickman is the main draw, this is very much an ensemble piece. It's hard to believe that Hamish Linklater is making his Broadway debut as the awkward Martin, but even without the floppy hair he sported in his recent off-Broadway roles, he still proves to be one of the finest actors of his generation. Jerry O'Connell as the privileged but well-meaning Douglas and Hettiene Park as the sexy Izzy also make assured Broadway debuts. I was one of the few not enraptured by Lily Rabe's Portia, but she won me over as Kate, somehow taking a self-pitying character and making her (at least somewhat) likable.

Anybody who has spent time with writers will recognize some of the pretentious conversations in the play, and Rebeck's dialogue is consistently amusing. However, the actions of the characters don't always feel earned. Fortunately for Rebeck, she has director Sam Gold, making his Broadway debut, at the helm. Gold's production is so smooth and the acting is so strong that it's easy to overlook some of the inconsistencies.

Getting Married Today

At the Minetta Lane Theare, you can experience the joy of weddings in 10 minute increments and you don't have to worry about buying a gift or getting stuck at a bad table. Standing On Ceremony: The Gay Marriage Plays features a rotating cast of six performing nine short plays about gay marriage by well-known playwrights. The staged reading format worked for Love, Loss, and What I Wore and Standing on Ceremony should also be able to run for years.*

Harriet Harris, Craig Bierko, Mark Consuelos, Polly Draper, Beth Leavel, and Richard Thomas are all able to create convincing characters in these short snapshots. Most of the plays are comedic and the funniest is Paul Rudnick's My Husband, in which Harris plays an overbearing Jewish mother who just wants her son (Mark Consuelos) to get married already (I'm sure most singles, gay or straight, can relate). Another highlight is Neil LaBute's Strange Fruit featuring Consuelos and Bierko, which starts off with some raunchy humor and ends with a horrifying twist. The most moving is Moises Kaufman's "London Mosquitos" about a man (Thomas) giving a eulogy for his partner.

The only problem with a show like this is that it feels one-sided (a few of the plays feature crazy conservatives) and preaching to the choir. The people who are going to see it already support gay marriage, when the goal is presumably not just to entertain, but to inform. But the shows might help educate the public through other methods as a portion of all ticket sales go to Freedom to Marry and other organizations promoting marriage equality.

Standing on Ceremony is hosting a contest on their Facebook page to win tickets for a party of 20 which includes a free drink.

*The producers announced on November 29 that Standing On Ceremony will close on December 18.
Photo credit: Joan Marcus

You're Safe and Sound Now Back In Good Old 1955

Who hasn't watched an old television show or movie and thought how much simpler life would be in those times? For the characters in Jordan Harrison's Maple and Vine at Playwrights Horizons, the appeal of living in a different time is not that life was easier, but more complicated. Not only were there no modern conveniences like Internet, cell phones, and takeout, there was also less tolerance.

Married couple Katha (Marin Ireland) and Ryu (Peter Kim) don't know how to enjoy life again after her miscarriage. Katha is so depressed that she decides to quit her job. That day, she meets a stranger in the park who looks like he walked out of the 1950s. It turns out his name is Dean (Trent Dawson) and he lives in a community that lives life as in 1955 (always the same year). This idea appeals to Katha who convinces Ryu to move there for a six-month trial period, even if it means giving up his job as a plastic surgeon to pack boxes.

Harrison could flesh out the characters further as sometimes their motivations are confusing. It turns out that Dean is gay and he chooses to be married to a woman rather than be out in his own time. Katha encourages the community to be more intolerant of them as a mixed race couple so that their experience can be more authentic. It is distancing to not understand the characters, but it is also fascinating to consider their psychology. I have often daydreamed about going back in time, and the play has given me a lot to think about.

DISCOUNT TICKETS TO MAPLE AND VINE FOR PATAPHYSICAL SCIENCE READERS:

Regular run: November 19-December 23
Tues 7, Wed-Fri at 8, Sat at 2:30 & 8, Sun at 2:30 & 7:30
Additional Monday evening perfs Nov 21, Dec 5, and Dec 19

Order by November 30 and use the code VINEGR
$40 (reg. $70) for all performances Nov. 19-27
$50 (reg. $70) for all other performances Nov. 29-Dec. 23

Click here to order online or call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 Noon to 8PM daily
In Person: Ticket Central Box Office, 416 W. 42nd Street between 9th & 10th Avenues

Contest: Win Tickets to Silence! The Musical

Update: The contest is now closed. Thank you to everybody who entered. The winner was picked at random from all the entries. Congratulations stagemaven!

Silence! The Musical--The Unauthorized Parody of The Silence of The Lambs opened this summer at Theatre 80 to positive reviews. It is now playing an open run at The 9th Space Theatre at Performance Space 122 and I have a pair of tickets to give away.

To be entered to win a pair of tickets, tell me in the comments what movie you'd like to see get the musical spoof treatment. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (only one tweet or retweet will count for an extra entry). The winner will be chosen at random on Monday, December 5 at noon. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

SPECIAL OFFER: $39 (reg $59)
1- CLICK HERE or visit SilenceTheMusical.com and enter code HHCGEN39. Please select the REGULAR SEATS (FBI HEADQUARTERS) section on the online seating chart.

2- Call 212-352-3101 and mention code HHCGEN39.

3- Bring a print out of this offer to The 9th Space Theatre at P.S. 122, 150 First Avenue. Box office is open for walk-up sales. See hours below.

RESTRICTIONS: Offer valid through December 30th. Offer may be revoked at anytime and is subject to availability. Not valid on prior purchase. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts or promotions; blackout dates and restrictions may apply. Maximum of 4 tickets total with offer.
Box Office Hours:
Monday/Tuesday/Thursday 4pm to 8pm
Friday 4pm to 10:30pm
Saturday 2pm to 10:30pm
Sunday 2pm to 5pm

Sex in the Settee

Noël Coward's Private Lives gets revived on Broadway every ten years or so. I can't complain because the current Broadway revival, which opened Thursday at the Music Box Theatre, is the first opportunity I've had to see the play. But those that have seen it may wonder about the necessity of another mounting. The success of the play hinges on who is cast as the two leads. Right now, Paul Gross and Kim Cattrall are making a pretty convincing case for this revival.

Gross and Cattrall play Elyot and Amanda, a couple that have been divorced for five years. They meet again while honeymooning in neighboring rooms with balconies. (It's Noël Coward. Suspend your disbelief.) It doesn't take long to realize they still have passionate feelings for each other, so they run away to her flat in Paris. During intermission, Rob Howell's set is transformed from the exterior of a hotel to a deliciously tacky flat, complete with ducks on the walls and a giant fishbowl.

Gross and Cattrall are a sexy pair and believable as a couple who alternate between wanting to sleep together or kill each other. Fans of Cattrall in Sex in the City (confession: I am one) may see a little bit of Samantha Jones in Amanda with her progressive sexual ideas, but Cattrall is not rehashing that role. She gets at the many layers of Amanda and when the play starts, you get the sense that she could be happy with her new husband, the stuffy Victor (Simon Paisley Day). Gross, who my Canadian friend explained to me is their Tom Cruise, cuts quite the dashing figure and has comedic timing to boot. The rest of the cast, though they don't have as much to do, is strong as well, in particular Day, who manages to give Victor a little bit of an edge so he doesn't come off as a one-note stick in the mud.

As entertaining as most of the play is in these capable hands, the second act starts to drag and director Richard Eyre could have perhaps better tackled the problematic physical abuse. But then again, the play was written in 1930 and I don't think everything needs to be reworked to be made palatable for modern audiences. Still, it's hard to laugh at a couple slapping each other around.

Photo credit: Cylla von Tiedemann

Jerry O'Connell: The Most Adorable Man on Broadway*

Last night, I attended a blogger night of the new Theresa Rebeck play Seminar. I'll wait until the show officially opens to post my review, but I can tell you about the meet and greet with Jerry O'Connell after the show. O'Connell, known for films like Jerry Maguire and Stand By Me, is making his Broadway debut as the privileged Douglas, one of the students in Leonard's (Alan Rickman) writing seminar.

Usually at these events, there's an awkward silence until somebody is brave enough to ask the first question, but O'Connell just said (after shaking everybody's hands), "Where should I start?" and without even waiting for an answer, decided to start by talking about Alan Rickman. He spoke about just watching Rickman act. He spoke about how everyone in the cast has been so terrific and helpful and welcoming. He told us about going out with his castmates after the show and how they fight over the jukebox, though it's mostly Hamish Linklater and Lily Rabe who get into debates about the music (O'Connell said he's happy with some Britney.) He said sometimes Rickman joins them and that he always tries to pick up the check. He told us about how he's auditioned for a few Rebeck shows and they've never worked out and he really chased this part (the producer told us that since O'Connell came from LA to audition, he was the only one who didn't get coached by director Sam Gold, and he nailed the audition better than anyone). He told us how he's a New Yorker and how happy he is to be back here, taking his children on the subway. All the while, he was funny, enthusiastic, and charming. Even when the Q&A was over, he kept wondering what else he could tell us. And after he was finished speaking to us, he went out the stage door and took pictures and signed for the fans outside. He seems like a true class act. Welcome to Broadway, Mr. O'Connell. You can stay.

*Credit to @Corellianjedi2 for giving O'Connell that title.

Talking Chinglish

What would you think if you saw a sign saying "Fuck the certain price of goods"? You probably wouldn't guess that it's a translation of a Chinese sign reading "Dry Goods Pricing Department." This is the jumping off point for Chinglish. Daniel Cavanaugh (Gary Wilmes), an American, sees an opportunity for his company to manufacture signs in Guiyang, China, given that the translations are so often embarrassingly incorrect. Peter Timms (Stephen Pucci), an Englishman fluent in Mandarin is Daniel's consultant. They meet with Minister Cai Guoliang (Larry Lei Zhang) and Vice Minister Xi Yan (Jennifer Lim). In David Henry Hwang's comedy, nobody is exactly who they seem to be.

Hwang and director Leigh Silverman spoke about the play at a digital press event. The characters in Chinglish communicate in both English and Mandarin, and one of the most effective elements of the play is the easy-to-follow translations. Silverman said: "Something that was very important for me as the director was to figure out how we were going to use translation in the play because it's thematically important because our American businessman is selling signage. So the idea of signs and translation and language is very important and I really feel like language and communication is a character in the play. I wanted to figure out how to effortlessly give the audience the chance to understand everything that was happening in the play while also literally watching the action of the play so that it didn't feel like opera. It didn't feel like you had to look outside of the frame. It felt like it was part of the fabric and essentially the DNA of the play were these translations. I think what we learned in Chicago when we did it at the Goodman was in fact the translation portion of it engaged the audience in a way that I think we hadn't expected because literally the audience is the only character who understands everything that's happening, so it gives the audience complete satisfaction in a way to know everything that's being said. Figuring that piece of it out was really crucial in terms of delivering what I feel is the comedy of the play and the fun of the play and the brilliance of the play."

When we saw Chinglish, my friend Emily wondered why the English dialogue wasn't translated into Chinese. At the press event, Silverman said that they are considering options for what they can do with the supertitles, especially if the show tours.

One of the most surprising stories to come out of the press event came from Hwang. In a comic highlight of the play, Angela Lin hilariously plays a very bad translator (I wanted more of her in the play). In another scene, Johnny Wu plays an equally incompetent translator. While this may seem like an exaggeration, Hwang revealed that he had a similar experience when he and Silverman visited Guiyang: "One thing that I really noted from the trip was the quality of interpretation in Guiyang of the interpreters was not particularly high. I was supposed to give a speech to local artists and cultural officials called Artists in the Age of Commerce, in other words, how does an artist operate in a capitalist culture, and they assigned as my translator this very sweet guy, but his only qualification was that he'd lived in London in for a year. He had no capacity to translate any of the ideas that I was talking about and he knew it too and was kind of terrified the whole time. We finally got someone on our team to do the translation and then let him read it, so it all kind of worked out. I feel like I'm actually rather generous to the quality of translators in Guiyang in the play."

Photo credit: Michael McCabe

Contest: Win Tickets to Lysistrata Jones

Update: The contest is now closed. Thank you to everybody who entered. I loved reading all your costume ideas and I'd like to give you all tickets. The winners were picked completely at random from all the entries. Congratulations Amanda S. and dbee!

Trick or treat! I have a treat for you. I'm celebrating Halloween (and my birthday) by giving away TWO pairs of tickets to see Lysistrata Jones on Broadway. In this version of Aristophanes's Lysistrata, the Athens University student Lysistrata Jones dares the basketball squad's girlfriends to stop sleeping with their boyfriends until they win a game. I was bummed when I missed the Transport Group production, which was performed in an actual gym, so I can't wait to see this show. The entire cast of the off-Broadway production is transferring. Since book-writer Douglas Carter Beane did such wonders with the Xanadu book, I'm expecting a fun show. Lewis Flinn wrote the music and lyrics.

In honor of Halloween, tell me in the comments your best theater-related Halloween costume idea. For an extra entry, tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it. (Please tell me in your entry if you do this. Only one tweet or retweet will count for an extra entry.) TWO winners will be chosen at random (each winner will receive a pair of tickets) on Friday, November 4 at 5 p.m. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle in the comments so I have a way to contact you if you win. Good luck!

Discount offer:
Get special $50 tickets to LYSISTRATA JONES for 12 performances only! Performances begin on November 12!

Visit BroadwayOffers.com and enter code LJPVW50

Call: 212.947.8844

Go to the Walter Kerr Theatre box office, 219 W. 48th St. between Broadway and 8th Ave., with this coupon and mention code LJPVW50

Www.LysistrataJones.com
www.Facebook.com/LyssieJones

*Offer valid on all performances November 11 – November 23, 2011. Certain other blackout dates may apply. Subject to availability and prior. Not valid on previously purchased tickets and may not be combined with other offers. Applicable only to specified performance dates and times. All sales are final; no refunds or exchanges. Valid on select locations only. Seating restrictions may apply. Telephone/internet orders subject to standard Telecharge.com service fees. When purchasing at box office, present offer prior to ticket inquiry. Offer may be revoked at any time. Limit 19 tickets per person per week. Offer expires Nov. 23, 2011.

Photos are from the Gym at Judson production

Milk Like Sugar at Playwrights Horizons

In 2008, the media was buzzing with the story of
a pregnancy pact made by teens in Gloucester, Massachusetts. Kirsten Greenidge was inspired to write Milk Like Sugar, an engaging and enlightening play, which premiered at the La Jolla Playhouse in August and opens at Playwrights Horizons on November 1.

Milk Like Sugar starts off light, with Beyonce blasting and three teenage girls at a tattoo parlor, discussing the appeal of certain boys based on their cell phones. But the conversation soon reveals that one of the girls, Margie (Nikiya Mathis), is pregnant, and ecstatic about it, dreaming about Coach diaper bags. She convinces her two friends Talisha (Cherise Boothe) and Annie (Angela Lewis) that they should all get pregnant at the same time, so that they can have a baby shower together.

The story follows Annie, torn between wanting to please her friends and the desire to escape her life and go to college. The appeal of a baby who will love her unconditionally is great for Annie, who feels neglected by her mother Myrna (Tonya Pinkins), but there are various influences--her ambitious crush Malik (J. Mallory-McCree), the tattoo artist Antwoine (LeRoy McClain), her new religious friend Keera (Adrienne C. Moore)--pulling her in every direction--literally illustrated by director Rebecca Taichman in choreographed scene changes.

Pinkins, the big name here, delivers a memorable performance, but the young actors are all ones to watch. It's especially hard to turn away from Lewis when she is on the stage and Mathis gets big laughs as the lovable but dim-witted Margie.

This is an educational piece for someone whose realm of experience is so different from that of these girls, or for vulnerable young girls like the characters portrayed, but Greenidge smartly avoids passing judgment.

DISCOUNT TICKETS TO MILK LIKE SUGAR FOR PATAPHYSICAL SCIENCE READERS:

Order by October 25 and use the code MILKGR
$40 (reg. $55) for all performances Oct. 13-Nov 20

Online: www.TicketCentral.com
Call: (212) 279-4200 Noon to 8PM daily
In Person: Ticket Central Box Office, 416 W. 42nd Street

What I Did Last Night

Last night, I went to ANT Fest at Ars Nova for the first time. This is the fourth year of the festival dedicated to emerging artists. From October 18 through November 19, you can see concerts, sketch comedy, musical theater, and more for $10 a ticket.

Last night's show was called Ant Tunes, featuring musical excerpts from Lightning Man and Mortality Play. Lightning Man, with music by Jeffrey Dennis Smith, lyrics by Shoshana Greenberg (full disclosure: she's a friend of mine) and Katya Stanislavskaya, and book by Maggie-Kate Coleman, is based on the true story of a seven-time lightning strike survivor who commits suicide at the age of 71. Mortality Play, with music by Scotty Arnold and lyrics by Alana Jacoby, is about a young wannabe rock star trying to find his place in 1349 London.

The shows are not open to review, but I can say that if last night's show is any indication, there will be a lot of up-and-coming talent at Ars Nova in the next few weeks. As a bonus, Ars Nova has cheap drinks and snacks, so your whole evening of entertainment may end up being cheaper than a night at a bar. You can see the complete lineup here.