A Totally Awesome Show You Can't See Right Now

I saw this great theater piece the other night. I want to be able to tell you to go see it, but it was the last night of its three-night run at the Robert Moss Theater in New York and the theater company is based in Santa Barbara. But I'm going to tell you about it anyway, because you should know about Proximity Theatre Company.

Proximity is a non-profit youth theater company (the actors range in age from 16 to 29) that produces physical theater productions.

Shandy Wilkes by Proximity's co-artistic director Karina Richardson is a reworked version of The Marvellous Shandy Wilkes, presented by Proximity in 2009. It's a really sweet fairy tale about the power of love. Shandy Wilkes (Chiara Perez del Campo) was born with mirrors in her eyes that show people the thing about themselves they fear the most. Her own mother (Richardson) can't bear to look at her, so Shandy is mostly raised by her blind grandmother Maria Carmen (Siena Perez del Campo). Shandy's only friends are a fun-loving unicorn (Jake Himovitz) and a know-it-all dragon (Gabriela London), but eventually, Shandy has to go to school. Only Hymn (Himovitz) can look into her eyes because he is too young to have learned how to hate any part of himself. The rest of the students and teachers fear her, but she gets to keep coming to school on the condition that she will wear sunglasses. The play follows her through her teenage years when she reconnects with Hymn and into young adulthood.

The show has a great message and is appropriate for children, but is just as entertaining for adults. The youthful energy from the cast (most of whom juggle multiple roles) is infectious. Kyra Lehman's (doing double-duty as director) frantic choreography paired with Ken Urbina's original music gives the show a hip, modern edge, but never feels false or trying too hard.

New Yorkers, check out the two promo videos to get a taste of what you missed. If you live in or near Santa Barbara, I encourage you to keep your eye on Proximity's website for future show information. But here's hoping they will be back on the east coast soon.

FRINGE: Keepers

What's The Benefit, Inc. produces theater that highlights a specific charitable cause. Keepers, a musical about adoption based on real testimonials, was originally presented at Studio 54 last year as a benefit for Spence Chapin Adoption Services and now it's having its first run at Fringe. It's hard to really a judge a show when everybody's hearts are in the right place.

The program doesn't specify how much of the script is directly taken from testimonials, but there are four book writers--Spencer Lavallee, Nicco Franklin, Paul Daniel Cloeter, and Molly C. Blau (Franklin and Cloeter also appear in the show). Short monologues are interspersed with musical numbers, so as is the case with other musicals of this kind, it's hard for the characters to make a lasting impression. But there are many sweet (two brothers--one adopted--in trouble with the principal are as close as any brothers), sad (a man in prison never learned to love his adoptive parents), and funny (a lesbian couple joke that they have to go to the "ballerina store" so their daughter won't end up gay) moments. What the musical does well is present both the positive and negative sides of adoption from the points of view of both children and adults. The music by Daniel Wolpow and Cloeter is pretty, though I think the show would work just as well as a play. As a whole, the actors are better in the individual scenes than when singing all together as in the title number. Erin Breen is particularly memorable in the opening scene on her adopted daughter's first day of school as is Franklin as a young man who finds a box belonging to his birth parents.

If you know anyone who has been adopted or gone through the adoption process, you will probably be moved by the show in some way. Up next for What's the Benefit is Weaker People, a musical dealing with the issue of bullying.

The final performance of Keepers is Sun 28 @ noon.

FRINGE: The Legend of Julie Taymor, or The Musical That Killed Everybody

I was sick of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark before even the first preview. I was relieved when the musical officially opened, if only so I wouldn't have to hear about it anymore. But The Legend of Julie Taymor was so entertaining that I didn't mind hearing the the well-known saga again. I had a much better time at this Fringe show than at either version of Spider-Man.

The title is the only place where Julie Taymor's name is mentioned. In the musical by Travis Ferguson, producer Frank Kashowitz (Johnnie Moore) has the idea to turn the popular comic franchise Spider-Dude into a musical and he wants Bruno (Clint Carter), lead singer of the band U[squared] to write the music, but Bruno will only agree if they get Julie Paymore (a show-stealing Jennifer Barnhart) to direct.

Sure, Turn Off the Dark is an easy target, but Ferguson's attention to detail is impressive. The musical follows the trajectory of the spectacular failure pretty closely, from lead producer's death to delayed openings to actor injuries, so the more you know about its history, the more you'll laugh. For example, most avid theatergoers will recognize Lionel Weasel (Christopher Davis Carlisle, another standout in the cast), the gossip columnist intent on destroying Spider-Dude, as Michael Riedel of the New York Post. Of course, there is comic exaggeration. I doubt Riedel and Taymor have any sort of romantic history or that Christopher Tierney's accident was purposefully orchestrated by Taymor.

The score by Dave Ogrin (he and Ferguson co-wrote lyrics) is at its best when mocking Turn Off The Dark's score. A highlight is "Boy Falls From the Rafters"--sung by Barry Shafrin as the adorably naive Billy--a perfect send-up of "Boy Falls From The Sky." As someone who saw a preview of version 1.0, "Tweet , Tweet, Tweet!"--sung by audience members tweeting at the first preview--was an accurate depiction of what it was like to watch the mess of a show. ("Where are they going on the tangent? Still can't understand the words. 3 hours in. What's worse, the music or the dancing?")

The creators left no stone unturned with touches like Katie White's comic-book style props (even Starbucks cups are made of cardboard). I would like to see more from Ogrin and Ferguson, but now can we please stop talking about Spider-Man?

The final performance is Wed 24 @ 7.

FRINGE: Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story

Between Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, The Bardy Bunch, and the musical Ampersand: A Romeo & Juliet Story by Mariah MacCarthy, there is a lot of Romeo and Juliet going on at Fringe. Add in the somewhat disappointing Royal Shakespeare Company production I saw in July and you'd think I'd be all Romeo and Juliet'ed out. But I never mind revisiting the story when a production is done well or offers a fresh take.

MacCarthy's new spin is that Romeo and Juliet are two young women living in Verona, Iowa. Juliet (Brigitte Choura) is a rich beauty queen engaged to marry Paris (Nic Grelli) and Romeo (Lauren Hennessy) is a wannabe rock star. Their mothers (both played by men--Jeremy Michael Lagunas as Claire Capulet and Matt Welsh as Evelyn Montague) are running against each other for mayor. But the Capulet/Montague rivalry is deeper than that. When Romeo came out in high school (this Romeo and Juliet, at 21, are a little older than Shakespeare's characters), she received threats from Juliet's cousin Tybalt (Craig Hanson). The election is in full swing and Claire Capulet decides to throw a masquerade party. Romeo dresses like a man, hoping to woo college student Rosaline, but ends up dancing with the masked Juliet. By the time each realizes who the other is, it's too late--they've already fallen for each other.

The show works largely because of Hennessy and Choura and their fantastic chemistry. Both women draw you in completely in scenes together and apart. They are supported by a strong ensemble cast, especially Jordan Tierny as comic relief Mercutio and Hanson as frat boy Tybalt.

The other reason this show is so memorable is Brian Kirchner's rock-folk-pop-Lady Gaga hybrid score. The songs start off humorous ("Hey Bitch") and become haunting ("Star-Crossed Lover" performed by the choir Diana Oh, Julie Ek, and Lauren Weinberg). Kudos to Emily Rupp, who juggles guitar, ukele, flute, and vocals.

Ampersand does need some tightening. The two-and-a-half hour show could be shortened as some of the scenes feel extraneous or repetitive. For example, the scenes between Juliet and her grandfather (Anna Savant) are sweet, but don't add much and there is an argument with Juliet and Romeo that goes on for too long. Even with these quibbles, this musical has the strongest potential for life after Fringe that I've seen this year.

Final performance is Sat 27 @ 7:45.

Photo credit: Kacey Stamats

FRINGE: Welcome to Eternity

I really enjoyed Matt Saldarelli's Getting Even With Shakespeare at last year's Fringe. He abandons Shakespeare characters for a trip down the aisle with his new play, Welcome to Eternity, a series of seven short scenes between soon-to-be-married couple Amanda (Mary Schneider) and Patrick (Patrick Pizzolorusso). (I should probably disclose that I am "Twitter friends" with Pizzolorusso.)

According to program notes, Saldarelli, whose own wedding is in a few weeks, got the inspiration for the play when he told his fiancée that he wanted to write a graphic novel about her family. That idea became "Justice Family of America." As you can see, this isn't your typical marriage play. Though a lot of the issues raised--religion, dieting--are familiar, Saldarelli puts an original spin on them. For example, in "Catholic-22," Patrick and Amanda play a game to test her Catholic knowledge and in "Missionary Sundays," Patrick decides to add some spontaneity into their sex lives by trying out a new sexual position a day.

Saldarelli writes convincing dialogue in which his characters go off on believable tangents. (As in Getting Even With Shakespeare, conversations include many pop culture references.) Though each scene stands solidly on its own and together they start to form a picture of the couple, the play could do with some more establishing of why these two are together. They don't seem to agree on anything and we rarely see them being affectionate with one another. Yes, the play is about how the wedding takes a toll on their relationship, but I wondered why they fell in love in the first place. Luckily, Schneider and Pizzolorusso have an easy rapport that makes it easier to fill in the blanks.

Remaining performances: Sat 20 @ noon and Thu 25 @ 2

Photo credit: Dixie Sheridan

FRINGE: The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady

If you thought Romeo and Juliet was a story of woe, wait until you hear the tragedy of Keith Partridge and Marcia Brady. The Bardy Bunch: The War of the Families Partridge and Brady is The Brady Bunch meets The Partridge Family meets Romeo and Juliet meets Macbeth meets Hamlet meets Much Ado About Nothing, with bits of other Shakespeare plays thrown in for good measure. So if you're a fan of either singing family or Shakespeare, you will probably find something to enjoy in this violent musical comedy.

The story takes place in the summer of '74, after both shows went off the air. The Partridges and the Bradys are in a Montague/Capulet-type feud when Keith (Erik Keiser) and Marcia (Cali Elizabeth Moore) fall in love. They devise a plan to trick Greg Brady (A.J. Shively) and Laurie Partridge (Carina Zabrodsky) into falling in love. Meanwhile, Carol Brady (Susan J. Jacks) convinces her husband (Jacks's real-life husband Nick Ruggeri) to kill his boss and Danny Partridge (Adam Wald) is haunted by the memory of his father and wants revenge on his mother Shirley's (Michelle Mazza) new husband Reuben (Craig Wichman).

Playwright Stephen Garvey clearly knows his Bradys, Partridges, and Shakespeare. Some of the Shakespeare jokes are appropriately sitcom corny. I particularly enjoyed references to my favorite Brady Bunch episodes, and I didn't feel like I was missing out when The Partridge Family references went over my head.

Eighteen is a large cast by Fringe standards and director Jay Stern deftly maneuvers the chaos. Everybody in the cast fits into their roles perfectly. Standouts include the four young lovers and Jonathan Grunert as Peter, whose "It's Time To Change" is one of the high points of the evening. Logan Medland has done a fantastic job of arranging the songs like "I Woke Up In Love This Morning" for musical theater storytelling. Lorna Ventura's choreography also lovingly references the sitcoms.

There are only three performances left and Friday's is already sold out, so if this sounds like your type of show, I'd suggest buying a ticket soon.

Remaining performances: Fri 19 @ 9, Sun 21 @ 8:45, and Wed 24 @ 2

Photo caption: Erik Keiser as Keith Partridge and A.J. Shively as Greg Brady
Photo credit: Tom Henning

FRINGE: Yeast Nation

Urinetown is considered the most successful show to come out of the Fringe Festival. The musical opened on Broadway in 2001 and won Tony Awards for best book, score, and direction of a musical. Greg Kotis (book, lyrics) and Mark Hollmann (music, lyrics) return to Fringe with Yeast Nation (The Triumph of Life) and sold out the run before the first performance. But I doubt that Yeast Nation will have the same trajectory as Urinetown.

If expectations weren't so high for Yeast Nation, it would be another amusing, quirky Fringe show, but it's hard not to make comparisons to Urinetown as it is so similar in style and themes. The musical takes place in 3,000,458,000 BC at the bottom of the primordial sea. Although the characters are yeast, the story, which involves power struggles and love against the odds, is familiar. Jan the Elder (George McDaniel)--if you know Urinetown, think of him as Caldwell B. Cladwell--enforces strict rules about reproduction, what the yeast can eat, and where they can go. But his son Jan the Second (Erik Altemus) falls in love with Jan the Sweet (Emily Tarpey) and starts to question his father. The show even has an Officer Lockstock and Little Sally in the form of Jan the Unnamed (Harriet Harris) and a precocious young boy, well yeast (Charlie Plummer), who narrate and break the fourth wall.

Yeast Nation feels long at two-and-a-half hours, but overall the strong ensemble keep energy and entertainment levels up when the show begins to drag. Standouts in the cast include Joy Suprano as Jan the Wise and Jan the Famished (Jennifer Blood), whose duet is a highlight of the show.

The score was catchy, but because Urinetown is one of the funniest musicals I've ever seen, I was expecting to laugh a lot more at the lyrics. Clearly, Kotis and Hollmann have a lot of talent, and I would love to see something completely different from them. Not that I mind musicals with bad titles or being told that my way of living is unsustainable.

Photo from left to right: Manu Narayan, Emily Tarpey, and Erik Altemus
Photo credit: Jay Sullivan

FRINGE: Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending

Romeo and Juliet is a timeless play, but many of the characters are insufferable and their actions frustrating. So, when I was reading over the 194 selections at this year's New York International Fringe Festival and came across the title Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending, I knew I had to see it. Finally, the chance to control the outcome. It turns out that even when you choose your own ending, the results may not be ideal, but you probably won't find a Romeo and Juliet as fun or short (only 90 minutes) as this one.

There are three points in the play at which audiences vote by a show of hand. The first is when Romeo (James Waters) goes to the masquerade at the home of the Capulets and has to choose between wooing Juliet (Kyra Corradin) or Rosaline (Katie Jeffries). My audience chose Rosaline. In this version, Rosaline is Tybalt's (Matthew Sparacino) sister and a Capulet, so it still turns out to be a tale of star-crossed lovers, except that Rosaline is older and more cynical than Juliet, so she rejects Romeo's advances at first. Waters, whose boyish looks work so well for the lovesick Romeo, and Jeffries make for a believable couple. I suppose it's possible that Rosaline could have been a Capulet, but this almost feels too easy. [Correction: Turns out, Rosaline is indeed a Capulet. Thanks to Katie Jeffries for pointing that out.] So that Juliet is not completely left out, Benvolio (Rob Mueller), who I always thought of as the character in Shakespeare's version the most free from blame, falls in love with her. Kudos to the actors, most of whom have to play multiple parts and memorize each combination of results on top of that.

The play was written by brother and sister team Ann and Shawn Fraistat (with some help from William Shakespeare, of course), who have a knack for writing Shakespearan rhyme so it blends easily with the lines from the actual play, even with some anachronistic language thrown in. There are 8 different endings to choose from, so you might find yourself wanting to go back and see what could have been.

Remaining performances for Romeo and Juliet: Choose Your Own Ending: Thu 18 @ 7:30, Sat 20 @ 2:15, Sun 21 @ 2:30, and Fri 26 @ 4:15

Photo from left to right: Kyra Corradin as Juliet, James Waters as Romeo, Katie Jeffries as Rosaline

Traces, or A Circus for People Who Hate Circuses

I'm not a circus person. The thought of having to sit through one makes me a little queasy. If you're anything like me, don't let the word "circus" in the plot description of 7 Fingers's Traces freak you out. 7 Fingers was founded in Montreal in 2002 to bring circus to a human scale, according to program notes. Cirque du Soleil had similar beginnings, but those shows still feel larger than life. Traces feels less about spectacle and more about street art. And let's be honest, it doesn't hurt that the young cast is easy on the eyes.

In Traces, the performers wear regular clothes--no need for elaborate costumes. They take turns introducing themselves with birth dates (warning: if you were born before the late '80s, you will probably feel old), hometowns, heights, weights, and adjectives. Bradley Henderson is reliable and the oldest. Mason Ames is clumsy. Mathieu Cloutier is from Quebec. Valérie Benoît-Charbonneau, the only female in the group, is flirtatious. Philippe Normand-Jenny's parents are psychologists. Xia Zhengqi goes by Daqi and is insecure. Florian Zumkehr (pictured) is romantic.

Sometimes it doesn't even feel like you're watching a performance, just friends goofing off, as the seven make fun of each other or play around with skateboards and basketballs. But then they perform mind-blowing acrobatics like balancing on chairs, jumping through hoops, and climbing on poles (direction and choreography are shared by Shana Carroll and Gypsy Snider). The show is very dance-heavy as well and incorporates elements of both hip hop and ballet. The tricks don't always land, but they will get up and try again, and that also adds to the humanness of the show.

This is a limited engagement at the Union Square Theatre through October 9 [Update: Traces has been extended through January 1], but I wouldn't wait to see it. If you need any more convincing to see this show, just watch a few of the videos on the Traces site. For bargain-hunters, $25 rush tickets are available the day of the performance.

Photo credit: Michael Meseke

Nick Jonas: Marius vs. Link

I used to make fun of my sister for liking the Jonas Brothers, but some time ago, I started to actually like them, mostly Nick. From interviews I've read, he seems like a smart guy and a dedicated musician. I knew he couldn't really act because I've seen episodes of Jonas and Jonas LA. The 25th anniversary concert of Les Miserables, in which he played Marius, confirmed this, but it also proved that he can actually sing better than his work with the Jonas Brothers would indicate. This weekend, he played Link Larkin in Hairspray at the Hollywood Bowl. I'm in New York, so I didn't see it, but my sister did and she thought he was much more successful as Link than as Marius.

"Nick Jonas does fairly well with characters who aren't too complicated. Link is actually a kind of dumb character to begin with, so it worked out," she told me. "He was a little stiff at the beginning, but later on he got really into it." When he was Marius, he had the same look of concern on his face the whole time he was onstage, but she said he actually did vary his facial expressions somewhat as Link: "While he was dancing he was smiling, but I don't think he can act and smile at the same time."

The highlight of that conversation, courtesy of my sister: "The moral of the story: We need to always give Nick Jonas characters that aren't complex or dramatic, or any character in which he would have to do his 'I'm concerned about the situation right now' constipation face."

Photo credit: Craig T. Mathew/Mathew Imaging

My TV Debut... StageRush TV

This week, my friend Jesse invited me to co-host his weekly web series, Stage Rush TV with him. I overcame my fear of speaking on camera and you can watch us discuss this week's Broadway news here. And if you don't already read Stage Rush, you should, for great video interviews, giveaways, and more. Thanks for having me, Jesse!

Quick Q&A With Joyce DeWitt

Joyce DeWitt, best known as Janet Wood on Three's Company, is currently starring as the adorable Miss Abigail in Miss Abigail's Guide to Dating, Mating, & Marriage at Sofia's Downstairs Theater on 46th Street. In the show, Miss Abigail and her sidekick Paco (Mauricio Perez) share Miss Abigail's dating advice. To be honest, I went in thinking the play would be cheesy, but was pleasantly surprised when it turned out to be genuinely funny. And now, five questions with Joyce DeWitt:
Q: What did you think when you were first approached about this show? Was it something you wanted to do immediately?
A: Comedic material that occasionally touches the heart is my favorite kind of material. So, yes, I was immediately attracted to the play.

Q: What appeals to you about the role?
A: That she has dedicated herself to helping people and that as a character she is a joy to play.

Q: There is quite a bit of audience interaction, so I would think you have to be ready for anything. Did you have any improv experience?
A: None whatsoever. It was the one thing that caused me to take some time in agreeing to do the role.

Q: Do you agree with all of Miss Abigail’s advice?
A: Well, if I were 100 years old I might! But, some of it is very sweet and that dearness is a lovely thing to share with the audience.

Q: What is your favorite piece of wisdom from Miss Abigail?
A: That life is short and love is so very precious.

Click here and use the code BLOG for discounted tickets to the show.

Photo credit: Jeremy Daniel

Contest: Win Tickets to The Judy Show: My Life As A Sitcom

Judy Gold (Love, Loss, and What I Wore; 25 Questions for a Jewish Mother) is back with a new solo show that looks at her life through the television sitcoms she grew up watching. I am giving away one pair of tickets to see the show at DR2 Theatre. In order to be entered to win, answer the following trivia question: Judy Gold has won two Emmy awards. What show were they for?

Please answer in the comments section. I have temporarily turned on comment moderation and will wait until the contest ends to post the comments. Please include your e-mail address or Twitter handle so you can be contacted if you win. I will pick a winner at random from the correct entries. The contest will close on Monday, July 11, at 5 p.m.

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was picked at random from the entries. Congratulations makingwaves01! I will contact you shortly with details on how to claim your tickets.

Thanks to everyone who entered. If you would still like to see the show, use the following discount to save $20 on tickets:

Three Easy Ways to Save $20 on tickets to
The Judy Show: My Life as a Sitcom!
Get your $45 (regularly $65) tickets today.

1.CLICK HERE or Visit BroadwayOffers.com and use code JSHHC45

2. CALL 212.947.8844 and mention code JSHHC45

3. *IN PERSON: Bring a printout of this offer to The DR2 Theatre Box Office at 103 East 15th Street (between Park Avenue and Irving Place).

RESTRICTIONS: This offer is valid through 9/10/11 and is subject to availability. Not valid on prior purchase. Offer cannot be combined with other discounts of promotions; blackout dates and restrictions may apply. Limit ten (10) tickets per order. No refunds or exchanges. Offer may be revoked at any time. All discounts include .50 facility fee.

*The DR2 Theatre Box Office Hours - Opens 1 hour prior to the performance. Please Note: Tickets may also be purchased at the Daryl Roth Theatre Box Office, 101 East 15Street (Tuesday: 1pm - 6pm Wednesday - Friday: 1pm-8pm Saturday: 1pm -10pm Sunday: 1pm - 7pm)

Review: Cirque du Soleil's Zarkana

Zarkana's press release describes the show as "an acrobatic rock opera that blends circus arts with the surreal to create a world where physical virtuosity rubs shoulders with the strange." Sound familiar? I couldn't help but think of Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark, which fails as both a musical (doesn't have a compelling story or music) and a Cirque du Soleil-type spectacular (the acrobatics are too few and far between). Zarkana even has a scene that takes place on a spiderweb, so comparisons are inevitable. If you're into the adrenaline rush that comes from seeing performers in potentially dangerous situations, I'd go with Zarkana, where you get more stunts per dollar spent than at Spider-Man.

Zarkana, now open at Radio City Music Hall, was written and directed by film and theater director Francois Girard (The Red Violin) and features a cast of more than 75. Cirque shows usually have a theme and in this one, there's a magician named Zark (Paul Bisson) who shows up a lot to sing about love (Nick Littlemore's score is appropriately loud and anthemic), but the individual scenes don't really connect. But Cirque du Soleil is about the spectacle, not the story, and boy do they do that well. Some of the most memorable scenes are "Rope Duet," a lovely dance in the air between Di Wu and Jun Guo (Debra Brown and Jean-Jacques Pillet are credited with choreography, Florence Pot with acrobatic performance design) and one of the quieter moments in the show, and "Wheel of Death," in which Ray Navas Velez and Rudy Navas Velez perform stunning acrobatics on a moving wheel.

There are too many clowns for my personal taste, but costume designer Alan Hranitelj, set and props designer Stephane Roy, and image content designer Raymond St-Jean offer such an overload of colors and images, that I had plenty to take in while I waited for those scenes to pass.

Photo credit: Alan Hranitelj

So I saw War Horse...

Thanks to Lincoln Center's wonderful LincTix program, I was able to see the hottest straight play on Broadway for only $30. I mostly wanted to see War Horse because I had heard a lot about it being a great production of a not-so-great play and I couldn't complain about it winning the Tony without having seen it. And I also wanted to see the horses.

Well, now that I've seen it, I'm not as angry about it winning best play as I thought I'd be, though I think all the plays that were nominated were better written (as was Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo, which wasn't even nominated, and I encourage you all to see before it closes). Yes, War Horse has a simple story and it's emotionally manipulative. But, I wouldn't say it was a bad play. The dialogue wasn't cringe-worthy, though parts of it were slow. And even though I was aware of being manipulated, I am a sucker for stories about children and their animals. And those horses were just incredible. I started to believe that they were actual horses. The Handspring Puppet Company was totally deserving of a special Tony award for their work on the show.

It turns out I'm most stuck on the Tony award that War Horse won for best scenic design. War Horse didn't have too much of a set, but it did use video projection to great effect. I suppose video projections are considered part of the scenic design and should be, but isn't it time for a separate category for video projection? I also wonder if the puppets were considered part of the scenic design. I don't think they should have been, but I guess there's no way of knowing. Awards are so subjective anyway I suppose it doesn't matter, but if anyone out there has thoughts about what scenic design should entail, please write them in the comments.

Theater Deja Vu

Last summer, I saw the play Veritas by Stan Richardson at the Fringe Festival, and it introduced me to a shocking piece of Harvard history, where students were interrogated about their sexuality. Unnatural Acts has a different director, writer, and cast, but it felt like I had already seen the play. Two plays with the same source material are obviously going to have similarities, but it is interesting that the plays resemble each other stylistically as well. This is an unfortunate coincidence, as a look at the timeline on the play's website indicates that Tony Speciale first got the idea in 2003 and started developing the play in 2006.

Unnatural Acts was directed by Speciale, who wrote the play along with members of the Plastic Theatre. In 1920, Cyril Wilcox, Harvard class of '22 committed suicide at his home in Fall River, Massachusetts. Cyril's brother brought two letters to the Dean which referred to Cyril's homosexuality and other students who might have been leading a similar lifestyle. From there, the Court was created to question students, getting more and more names throughout the investigation. Most of the students were judged guilty and forced to leave not only Harvard, but Cambridge altogether. If you would like to know more about the history before seeing the play, the Harvard Crimson article by Amit R. Paley that first broke the story is available here.

Unnatural Acts uses Shakespeare monologues, overlapping scenes, even a choreographed scene that owes a debt to "Bitch of Living" from Spring Awakening, but as was the case with Veritas, some of these artistic flourishes distance the audience from the characters. Still, Unnatural Acts is an engaging evening of theater with a talented young cast (some of whom are co-authors), the standout being Nick Westrate as Ernest Roberts, the flamboyant son of a politician who hosts parties in his room, Perkins 28. It would be easy to play this role one-note, but Westrate finds the anger and pain underneath Roberts's charisma.

It's horrible to think that this is a true story, but it's important that it continues to be told, so that history doesn't repeat itself. Whether or not you've seen Veritas, but especially if you haven't, Unnatural Acts is a play worth checking out.
Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Contest: Win Tickets to Zarkana

Want to see Cirque du Soleil's latest show, Zarkana, for free? One Pataphysical Science reader will win a pair of tickets to the show at Radio City Music Hall. To enter, follow me on Twitter @PataphysicalSci and retweet my tweet about the contest. The contest will end on Friday at 5 p.m. Good luck!

Because You Haven't Heard Enough About The Tonys...

I was able to watch the Tonys last night in a hotel room in Orlando ("Orlando. I love you Orlando." Yes, I now have to sing that every time I say that city's name. Thanks, Book of Mormon.) I didn't have access to a computer, so I didn't get to live blog or tweet, but in case anyone still cares, here are some random thoughts about the evening:
-Overall, I thought it was one of the most entertaining Tonys in a long time in terms of production numbers, but in such a competitive year, the awards themselves ended up being pretty predictable (i.e. boring). The biggest and I think only surprise for me was Nikki M. James winning for best featured actress in a musical. I was pretty sure Laura Benanti would win, but she does already have a Tony and I'm extremely happy for James. She gave the most moving and genuine speech of the night (with Norbert Leo Butz's speech coming in at close second).
-Speaking of Norbert Leo Butz, I think he deserves a Tony every time he opens his mouth, but I still think he should have been nominated for featured actor. I'm guessing the reason the Mormon love didn't extend to either of the male leads is that they split the vote...
-But that doesn't explain why Rory O'Malley didn't win. After James's win, I expected him to ride the Mormon train too. I'm not heartbroken he didn't win, but I thought John Larroquette was the least deserving in the featured actor in a musical category.
-As much as I love Andrew Rannells and the song "I Believe," I didn't think it was fair to only showcase him, especially when so many actors from the show were nominated. However, I was impressed that the song was not censored.
-I thought Priscilla deserved a nomination over Sister Act or Catch Me If You Can, but since it wasn't nominated, a performance from the show made no sense. The Spider-Man: Turn Off The Dark number was also unnecessary, but if they want to sell the show, a love ballad isn't the way to do it.
-I don't like Chris Rock as an actor, but I appreciate that he said what everyone was thinking. The Book of Mormon win was a no-brainer. Still, it's exciting that a good musical won this year (especially after last year).
-Speaking of Memphis, it's hard to forget that that musical exists when they insist on performing a selection from the show again. I hope this isn't going to be a regular thing.
-I'm not seeing War Horse until the end of the month, so I can't comment on whether its many wins were deserved until then. Stay tuned.

Review: The Best is Yet to Come at 59E59

I can hardly call myself an expert on composer Cy Coleman. I know some of his popular music--"The Best is Yet to Come," "Witchcraft"--thanks to Frank Sinatra. As for his musical scores, I'm very familiar with Sweet Charity and I've seen City of Angels. His other musicals include Barnum, On the Twentieth Century, Seesaw, Little Me, and The Will Rogers Follies. The Best is Yet to Come at 59E59 was an introduction to a career I was mostly unfamiliar with.

David Burnham (Wicked), Sally Mayes (She Loves Me), Howard McGillin (The Phantom of the Opera), Lillias White (The Life), and Rachel York (City of Angels) are all in fine voice and accompanied by music director Billy Stritch on the piano (occasionally taking the microphone himself) and a seven-piece band.

Though I personally would have liked at least one full number from Sweet Charity ("Big Spender" and "If My Friends Could See Me Now" appear briefly in medleys), the music selection is representative of Coleman's varied styles (he began his career in jazz clubs). A problem with revues is that the staging can often seem cheesy and director David Zippel does not entirely avoid that here, but there are some notable exceptions, and one in particular is reason enough to see the show--when Lillias White lets loose on "The Oldest Profession" from the show that won her a Tony, The Life, in a powerhouse performance that all but stops the show.

Introducing...The Tempest Ladies

With so many productions of The Tempest a year, what's special about the production on June 2 (7 and 9 p.m.) at The Players Theatre? Well, it's being performed by six women--Stella Berg, Laura Borgwardt, Julia Giolzetti, Holly Hart, Laura Bess Jernigan, and Jana Stambaugh--who call themselves the Tempest Ladies. Plus, it's only 90 minutes long and $10 a ticket. So, who are the Tempest Ladies?
The Tempest Ladies was formed in 2008 by Syracuse University students studying abroad at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre in London. "Several of us were cast in an all-female scene from Midsummer Night's Dream at the Globe (probably more a function of not enough boys in our class, but it was a fabulous experience) as our final presentation," says Borgwardt. "We loved the energy of working together and wanted to bring the work we were doing at the Globe back to Syracuse and put what we were learning into practice."

With this bare-bones version of The Tempest, the Tempest Ladies hope to present an accessible show that will appeal to both children and adults. "It's about taking Shakespeare off of the pedestal. People seem to be afraid of Shakespeare because of the heightened language, but the goal of this production and our productions after is to bring Shakespeare down to its most basic level," Hart says. "In the case of The Tempest, it is simply the story of a powerful man who is seeking revenge but instead discovers that 'the rarer action is in virtue than in vengeance.'”

So why The Tempest and not any other Shakespeare play? "The fact that The Tempest is a play made up of mainly male roles was an exciting factor for our all-female cast and was a main reason why we chose this play. But we all have our personal reasons for loving The Tempest," says Berg. "I love that it is a comedy with many layers that go much deeper than a slap-stick, funny show. It contains passion, lust, betrayal, redemption, greed, magic, self-actualization… the list goes on and on. I think it is a beautiful tale and it was Shakespeare’s last masterpiece which adds to its mystery."

After the June 2 presentations of The Tempest, the Tempest Ladies not only hope to continue performing the show around the city and country, but also to perform other Shakespeare plays. They will likely tackle Twelfth Night next. They do not plan to limit themselves to Shakespeare, however, and would like to create an entirely new piece as a company. Berg says, "Ultimately, we want to create innovative, physical and musical ensemble pieces that speak to audiences of any and all ages. We want to make theatre an incredibly enjoyable experience and accessible to the masses."

For $10 tickets to The Tempest, visit their website.

The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World

When I first heard about The Shaggs: Philosophy of the World*, a joint production of Playwrights Horizons and New York Theatre Workshop, I was intrigued. How would the creative team--Joy Gregory (book and lyrics), Gunnar Madsen (music and lyrics), and John Langs (director)--handle such an unusual band? The Shaggs were a sister act from Fremont, New Hampshire in the late 60s who achieved a cult following when their music was rediscovered in the '80s. Would Langs cast actors who couldn't sing? Would Madsen's original music be as dissonant as the music of The Shaggs? No and no. Most of the musical numbers in the shows are imagined, allowing the cast to showcase their talents while not betraying the material.

Austin Wiggin (Peter Friedman) formed the Shaggs as a result of his mother's prediction that his daughters--Dot (Jamey Hood), Betty (Sarah Sokolovic), and Helen (Emily Walton)--would form a successful band. He took them out of school, bought them instruments, and forced them to practice and write songs. My theater companion accurately described him as the "male Mama Rose." The band released only one album on Third World Records, but the man running the label disappeared, taking 900 of the 1,000 copies with him.

One of the best scenes in the show is when the girls record their album. You see and hear the girls playing cheerful poppy versions of the songs (also arranged by Madsen) and then what the music actually sounds like as the engineers listen in the booth. Madsen's original music has a haunting quality that blends well with the quirky music of The Shaggs. The musical does not present the Shaggs as a joke, but rather serves to highlight some of the beauty in their seemingly artless music. Take these simple and innocent lyrics: "There are many things I wonder. There are many things I don't. It seems as though the things I wonder most are the things I never find out."

There are some moving and powerful performances happening onstage and among those who make the strongest impression are Walton, who balances Helen's tormented soul and youthful spirit, Friedman, as a man the audience both fears and sympathizes with, and Cory Michael Smith as Helen's boyfriend, a positive force among the darker characters.

The off-Broadway season is only just beginning, but other musicals have their work cut out for them as The Shaggs has set the bar high and is truly an original musical.

Special SHAGGS offer:
Order by June 1 with code SHAGGLOG and tickets are only:
· $60 (reg. $75)
HOW TO ORDER:
· Order online at www.ticketcentral.com. Use code SHAGGLOG.
· Call Ticket Central at (212) 279-4200 (Noon-8pm daily)
· Present a printout of this blog post to the Ticket Central box office at 416 West 42nd Street (Noon-8pm daily).

*Note: I know that the show has not officially opened yet, but I was invited to see a preview and asked to post my thoughts about it.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Third Annual Patrick Lee Theater Blogger Awards

For the third year in a row, the Independent Theater Bloggers Association (the ITBA) presented awards for excellence in Broadway, off-Broadway, and off-off-Broadway. The awards have been renamed the Patrick Lee Theater Blogger Awards in honor of Patrick Lee, one of the ITBA's founding members. If you've been reading this blog, following me on twitter, or know me in person, you can probably figure out which of these winners I didn't vote for, but it's a pretty good list overall. Here is a video of the announcement, followed by a complete list of the winners. Congrats to them all!



The 2010-2011 Patrick Lee Theater Blogger Award Winners:

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY MUSICAL
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

OUTSTANDING NEW BROADWAY PLAY
Jerusalem

OUTSTANDING BROADWAY MUSICAL REVIVAL
Anything Goes

OUTSTANDING BROADWAY PLAY REVIVAL
The Normal Heart

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY PLAY
The Elaborate Entrance of Chad Deity

OUTSTANDING NEW OFF-BROADWAY MUSICAL
The Kid

OUTSTANDING OFF-BROADWAY REVIVAL (PLAY OR MUSICAL)
Angels in America, Part 1: Millennium Approaches

OUTSTANDING SOLO SHOW/PERFORMANCE (ALL VENUE CATEGORIES)
Michael Shannon, Mistakes Were Made

CITATIONS FOR OUTSTANDING OFF-OFF BROADWAY SHOW
Feeder: A Love Story
Invasion!
The Caucasian Chalk Circle
Belarus Free Theater's Discover Love
Black Watch
ReWrite

UNIQUE OFF-OFF BROADWAY EXPERIENCE
Sleep No More

OUTSTANDING ENSEMBLE PERFORMANCE
The Scottsboro Boys

CITATIONS FOR EXCELLENCE BY INDIVIDUAL PERFORMERS
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Reed Birney, A Small Fire
Christian Borle, Peter and the Starcatcher
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherfucker with the Hat
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Hamish Linklater, School for Lies
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem
Michael Shannon, Mistakes Were Made
Benjamin Walker, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

CITATION FOR EXCELLENCE IN OFF-OFF BROADWAY THEATRE
La Mama

The ITBA, is comprised of bloggers who regularly see live performances in all its forms in New York City and beyond. Members are in New York, Boston, Chicago, Minneapolis, and London. For further information and a list of our members, visit our website. If you are interested in learning more about the ITBA, email info@theaterbloggers.com. To invite the members of the ITBA to your show or event, please send an email to invite@theaterbloggers.com.

Baby It's Not That Bad

I'd heard some awful things about Baby It's You!, the new Broadway musical that tells the story of Florence Greenberg, the Jewish New Jersey housewife who discovered the Shirelles and created Scepter Records. Some theater circles have even started referring to it as Baby It's Poo. I have to wonder what these people were expecting. It's a jukebox musical meant to offer crowd-pleasing familiar songs, and on that front, it succeeds. I prefer more ambitious works, but sometimes I like to balance that with mindless entertainment, and this season has offered so much of the former that I think there's room for the latter as well.

The story of Greenberg (Beth Leavel) is an interesting one. She was a married woman who had a romantic relationship with a much younger black man, record producer Luther Dixon (Allan Louis)--pretty radical for the early '60s. Unfortunately, the book by Floyd Multrux and Colin Escott doesn't develop the characters and relationships enough, because the point is to cram in as many songs as possible. These are the men behind Million Dollar Quartet, another musical with great songs and performances but a weak book. The show also has a superfluous narrator (Geno Henderson), whose only purpose seems to be to bring up pop culture references (complete with cheesy graphics) of the era to further excite the baby boomer crowd.

As for the music, you not only hear Shirelles numbers like "Baby It's You" and "Soldier Boy," but other hits of the time like "It's My Party" and "Louie Louie." Vocally, the women playing the Shirelles--Christina Sajous, Erica Ash, Kyra Da Costa, and Crystal Starr--sound terrific, but they don't get a chance to do much more than sing. Then again, it's not a musical about the Shirelles, it's about about Florence Greenberg and Leavel does what she can with lame dialogue, but once again, you'd be hard-pressed to hear these songs sung better anywhere, other than digging up your old records.

I like to think of shows like Baby It's You!, Million Dollar Quartet, and Rain more as concerts than musicals. Maybe I'm being too easy on the show--why should jukebox musicals be an excuse for lazy writing? They shouldn't, but as a fan of the music of this era, I was able to enjoy myself.

Photo credit: Ari Mintz

Review: The School for Lies at CSC

You don't expect characters in a play taking place in 1666 France to use words like "dude" and "LOL" while speaking in highly-entertaining verse, but they do in The School For Lies, David Ives's adaptation of Moliere's The Misanthrope. These kinds of anachronisms can come off as annoying, as if the playwright is trying too hard, but here the rhymes are so clever that they work.

Aside from language choices, Ives takes some liberties with Moliere's story, but the basic gist is the same. Frank (Hamish Linklater), renamed from Alceste, abhors the hypocrisy of society and likes to speak his mind. He falls in love with Celimene (Mamie Gummer) despite her habit of ridiculing her friends behind their backs. Director Walter Bobbie is a frequent collaborator of Ives and they clearly understand each other such that the show runs effortlessly. So much of the pleasure of the show comes from the language and it takes a skilled cast to speak intelligibly while not slowing down the pace and the ensemble is up to the challenge, but Linklater is clearly the star, delivering each line to comic perfection. The School For Lies is a visual treat as well, thanks to William Ivey Long's brightly colored costumes which fit in with the fun nature of the show.

It appears that nobody told Ives about the rule of three, and a running joke involving flying canapes starts to wear out its welcome (for me anyway, the audience never seemed to tire of it). Still, during this time of year when everyone is rushing to see Broadway shows before the Tonys, there are some gems that you can only find off-Broadway.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

Do You Have Tony Fever Yet?

I wonder if the Tony nominating committee got Hunter Foster's memo and decided to not nominate any stars this year. Also, shows from the fall were not completely overlooked, with The Scottsboro Boys getting a surprising 12 nominations, but I'm sad about the total shutouts of The Pitmen Painters and A Free Man of Color. Here's the complete list of nominations, followed by my thoughts in most of the categories:

Best Play
Good People, David Lindsay-Abaire
Jerusalem, Jez Butterworth
The Motherf**ker with the Hat, Stephen Adly Guirgis
War Horse, Nick Stafford

This is a really strong year for new plays. I haven't seen War Horse yet, but Good People, Jerusalem, and Motherf**ker are all deserving. Still, I'm extremely disappointed that Rajiv Joseph's Bengal Tiger in the Baghdad Zoo and John Guare's A Free Man of Color (both Pulitzer finalists) were overlooked. From what I've heard, War Horse might be the one to beat, but I'm rooting for The Motherf**ker with the Hat (note: I hate the use of asterisks, but I think that's the official spelling of the play's name now).

Best Musical
The Book of Mormon
Catch Me If You Can
The Scottsboro Boys
Sister Act

The biggest snub here is Priscilla Queen of Desert, which I haven't seen yet. I also haven't seen Sister Act, but I did enjoy Catch Me If You Can, even if it's not in the same league with The Scottsboro Boys and The Book of Mormon. Nothing is a sure thing at the Tonys (just ask Raul Esparza), but I expect The Book of Mormon to win and deservedly so.

Best Book of a Musical
Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, Alex Timbers
The Book of Mormon, Trey Parker, Robert Lopez, and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys, David Thompson
Sister Act, Cheri Steinkellner, Bill Steinkellner, and Douglas Carter Beane

I wasn't the biggest fan of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson's book, but I can't deny that parts of it were very clever. It's nice that two closed musicals from the fall (Bloody Bloody and The Scottsboro Boys) were not forgotten. The Book of Mormon had some of the offensive humor you'd expect from the South Park/Avenue Q guys, but overall I found that it wasn't mean-spirited and it had a surprisingly sweet story, so I hope they take it.

Best Original Score
The Book of Mormon, Music & Lyrics: Trey Parker, Robert Lopez and Matt Stone
The Scottsboro Boys, Music & Lyrics: John Kander and Fred Ebb
Sister Act, Music: Alan Menken Lyrics: Glenn Slater
Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, Music & Lyrics: David Yazbek

My love for David Yazbek is no secret, and even if I didn't think Women on the Verge was his best work, Yazbek not at his best is still better than a lot of other composers out there. Again, I'd be happy if either Mormon or Scottsboro won.

Best Revival of a Play
Arcadia
The Importance of Being Earnest
The Merchant of Venice
The Normal Heart

I overall loved this production of Arcadia, but it had its share of haters, so I'm surprised with its nomination. The Merchant of Venice and The Importance of Being Earnest were also very strong productions. I haven't seen The Normal Heart yet, which got some of the best reviews of the season, so I expect that to win. That Championship Season was rightfully shut out, though I did enjoy Born Yesterday and La Bête.

Best Revival of a Musical
Anything Goes
How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

No surprises here as there were only two musical revivals this season. I have to say that I preferred How To Succeed, but Anything Goes (which I also liked) is generally considered to be the better production, so I expect it to take the award.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Play
Brian Bedford, The Importance of Being Earnest
Bobby Cannavale, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Joe Mantello, The Normal Heart
Al Pacino, The Merchant of Venice
Mark Rylance, Jerusalem

I was hoping Mark Rylance would get two nominations, the other for La Bete, but it was such a competitive year, that it almost wouldn't be fair for him to get two slots. As much as I liked Brian Bedfored, I don't understand how he is considered a lead when he's only in a few scenes. I was really hoping Bobby Cannavale would get nominated, so I'm super excited for him. I was very impressed with Robin William's understated performance in Bengal Tiger, so it's a shame he was left out, as was Dan Lauria for Lombardi.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Play
Nina Arianda, Born Yesterday
Frances McDormand, Good People
Lily Rabe, The Merchant of Venice
Vanessa Redgrave, Driving Miss Daisy
Hannah Yelland, Brief Encounter

Biggest surprise here is Hannah Yelland for Brief Encounter. I was one of the few people who didn't like Lily Rabe's Portia (I only saw her performance in the park, not on Broadway). I hope Nina Arianda wins and I think she has a really good shot. Her biggest competition is probably Frances McDormand.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role in a Musical
Norbert Leo Butz, Catch Me If You Can
Josh Gad, The Book of Mormon
Joshua Henry, The Scottsboro Boys
Andrew Rannells, The Book of Mormon
Tony Sheldon, Priscilla Queen of the Desert

I'm so torn in this category. I'm sad to see that Daniel Radcliffe was snubbed again (the first time was for Equus). He is giving his all up on that stage and he deserves to be recognized for it. The other big snubs were Aaron Tveit for Catch Me If You Can--but if only one male from the show was going to be nominated, I'd rather it be Norbert Leo Butz--and Benjamin Walker, who was the best thing about Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. I'm pleasantly surprised that both Gad and Rannells were recognized as well as Joshua Henry. I really have no idea who will win this one.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Leading Role in a Musical
Sutton Foster, Anything Goes
Beth Leavel, Baby It's You!
Patina Miller, Sister Act
Donna Murphy, The People in the Picture

This was such a weak year for women in musicals that there were only four nominations. I've only seen Sutton Foster so far, so I have little to say here, but I think she's looking at another Tony win.

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Play
Mackenzie Crook, Jerusalem
Billy Crudup, Arcadia
John Benjamin Hickey, The Normal Heart
Arian Moayed, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Yul Vázquez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

Probably my favorite category this year. I'm surprised with Crudup's nomination, since his performance got some of the more mixed reviews out of the actors in the show. As much as I love Crudup, Tom Riley deserved it more. Still, I'm glad to see that Crook, Moayed, and Vázquez were all recognized, especially Vázquez, who is so hilarious in Motherf**ker, but also delivers the sweetest moment in the show.

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Play
Ellen Barkin, The Normal Heart
Edie Falco, The House of Blue Leaves
Judith Light, Lombardi
Joanna Lumley, La Bête
Elizabeth Rodriguez, The Motherf**ker with the Hat

I'm so glad that Light was nominated since Lombardi was shut out of most categories. It is I believe the only show to open in the fall that is still running, so in that sense, it's the little show that could (of course, it does have NFL power behind it).

Best Performance by an Actor in a Featured Role in a Musical
Colman Domingo, The Scottsboro Boys
Adam Godley, Anything Goes
John Larroquette, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Forrest McClendon, The Scottsboro Boys
Rory O'Malley, The Book of Mormon

Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon!!!! I wish there was an ensemble award so The Scottsboro Boys could be nominated in that because the whole cast deserves recognition. I would have also loved to see John Cullum get nominated, but these two guys were outstanding. Rory O'Malley won me over in one of the show-stopping numbers in The Book of Mormon, "Turn it Off." Same with Adam Godley's "The Gypsy in Me."

Best Performance by an Actress in a Featured Role in a Musical
Laura Benanti, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown
Tammy Blanchard, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Victoria Clark, Sister Act
Nikki M. James, The Book of Mormon
Patti LuPone, Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown

All I have to say is I really hope Benanti wins. She was the best thing about Women on the Verge. I'm not really sure why LuPone was nominated, to be honest. It was a fun performance to watch because she was enjoying herself so much, but she didn't have much to do.

Best Scenic Design of a Play
Todd Rosenthal, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Rae Smith, War Horse
Ultz, Jerusalem
Mark Wendland, The Merchant of Venice

Again, I haven't seen War Horse yet, but I loved all three of the other nominated sets. I would give the edge to Ultz. But where are Bengal Tiger and Born Yesterday?

Best Scenic Design of a Musical
Beowulf Boritt, The Scottsboro Boys
Derek McLane, Anything Goes
Scott Pask, The Book of Mormon
Donyale Werle, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

This is the one category Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson really deserves to win.

Best Costume Design of a Play
Jess Goldstein, The Merchant of Venice
Desmond Heeley, The Importance of Being Earnest
Mark Thompson, La Bête
Catherine Zuber, Born Yesterday

Best Costume Design of a Musical
Tim Chappel & Lizzy Gardiner, Priscilla Queen of the Desert
Martin Pakledinaz, Anything Goes
Ann Roth, The Book of Mormon
Catherine Zuber, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying

This is the one place I thought Wonderland might get a nomination. Oh well.

Best Lighting Design of a Play
Paule Constable, War Horse
David Lander, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Kenneth Posner, The Merchant of Venice
Mimi Jordan Sherin, Jerusalem

Best Lighting Design of a Musical
Ken Billington, The Scottsboro Boys
Howell Binkley, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Peter Kaczorowski, Anything Goes
Brian MacDevitt, The Book of Mormon

Best Sound Design of a Play
Acme Sound Partners & Cricket S. Myers, Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo
Simon Baker, Brief Encounter
Ian Dickinson for Autograph, Jerusalem
Christopher Shutt, War Horse

Best Sound Design of a Musical
Peter Hylenski, The Scottsboro Boys
Steve Canyon Kennedy, Catch Me If You Can
Brian Ronan, Anything Goes
Brian Ronan, The Book of Mormon

Best Direction of a Play
Marianne Elliott and Tom Morris, War Horse
Joel Grey & George C. Wolfe, The Normal Heart
Anna D. Shapiro, The Motherf**ker with the Hat
Daniel Sullivan, The Merchant of Venice

Sullivan made some brilliant choices in The Merchant of Venice, so I'm glad he was recognized. I really need to see War Horse and The Normal Heart.

Best Direction of a Musical
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw and Trey Parker, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys
The best direction of a musical category is almost the exact same as best choreography (with the exception of Trey Parker). Musical theater history buffs, has that ever happened before?

Best Choreography
Rob Ashford, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Kathleen Marshall, Anything Goes
Casey Nicholaw, The Book of Mormon
Susan Stroman, The Scottsboro Boys

Marshall's choreography is impressive, but a little too by-the-book for me. It's exactly what I'd expect in an Anything Goes revival. Ashford did some interesting things with his choreography, but I'm pulling for Nicholaw or Stroman.

Best Orchestrations
Doug Besterman, How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying
Larry Hochman, The Scottsboro Boys
Larry Hochman and Stephen Oremus, The Book of Mormon
Marc Shaiman & Larry Blank, Catch Me If You Can

What do you think of the nominations? Did I forget to mention any snubs?

Live Tony Nominations Webcast

Watch the 2011 Tony Awards nominations live!


Later today, I'll post my thoughts on the nominations--who I'm excited for and who got snubbed. Come back and let me know whether or not you agree.

The Tonys Are Coming!

I'm pleased to announce that for the first time, you'll be able to watch the Tony nominations here on Pataphysical Science via live webcast. Tune in tomorrow at 8:30 a.m. EST to watch the nominations, announced by Matthew Broderick and Anika Noni Rose.

Review: Seance on a Wet Afternoon at the New York City Opera

Seance on a Wet Afternoon is Stephen Schwartz's first opera and it straddles the line between musical theater and opera. This is no surprise, as Stephen Schwartz is the composer and lyricist of such musicals as Pippin, Godspell, and the mega-hit Wicked. As someone with an admittedly limited knowledge of opera, I found Seance on a Wet Afternoon more accessible than other operas I've been to because of those blurred lines between opera and musical.

The opera, playing at the New York City Opera through May 1, is directed by Schwartz's son, Scott Schwartz. It's based on the 1964 film of the same name (which was based on a novel by Mark McShane). Myra Foster (Lauren Flanigan) is a medium who has a plan to get the recognition she thinks she deserves. She convinces her husband Bill (Kim Josephson) to kidnap a young girl (Bailey Grey) so that Myra can be a hero when she uses her visions to find the girl. As things start to spiral out of control, the story becomes darker and more disturbing, but it's also gripping and the 2 hours and 45 minutes go by very fast.

Schwartz's lyrics are fairly straightforward, making the story easy to follow, but they are also not terribly original or profound. The music, however, is lovely. There are some moments, such as when the reporters gather around the house to sing about the scandal, that are reminiscent of "No One Mourns The Wicked" and other big ensemble numbers in Wicked, but that's not to say that Schwartz is simply repeating what he's done before. He's taking a risk here and it mostly pays off.

He is helped by getting a visually striking production. Heidi Ettinger's sets have an ominous quality. The Foster home, with it's pointy roof, looks like a witch's house out of a fairy tale. A curtain looks like rain falling from the sky creates the backdrop.

The cast is excellent all around. Flanigan really captures Myra's undoing and instability. Josephson plays Bill with a tenderness and torment that makes him the most fascinating character. It's refreshing to see two young actors, Grey and Michael Kepler Meo as the ghost of Myra's son Arthur, who are so capable of commanding the stage.

If rock operas are still considered musicals, then I see no reason why an opera with hints of musical theater can't still be an opera. Ultimately, I'm more concerned with how a show makes me feel than what to label it.

Photo credit: David Bazemore

Broadway Recycled at Joe's Pub

Now in its second year, The Broadway Recycled concert at Joe's Pub, presented by At Hand Theatre Company and Broadway Green Alliance, is quickly becoming one of my favorite annual theater events. As you may have guessed from the name, it's an evening of cut songs from Broadway musicals. Usually, these songs were cut for good reason, but where else would you have the opportunity to hear a song like "Washing the World," written as a finale to Hair, during which the cast would wash the audience with sponges and eventually make their way into the streets?

Directed by Jennifer Ashley Tepper, the concert balanced songs from new and classic musicals as performed by a mix of Broadway regulars, up-and-comers, and composers and backed by Julie McBride (piano, music direction), John Davis (drums), Larry Corban (guitar), and Ken Dow (bass). Some numbers were written for characters who were cut from the show entirely. According to the program notes, The Agent was originally intended to be the emcee of Chicago, but the creatives cut him when they realized his function was too similar to Matron Mama Morton's. Though it's obvious they made the right decision, "Ten Percent" was a hilarious showcase for Jeff Hiller at last night's show.

A character that is mentioned but never seen in RENT is Alison (Muffy), Benny's wife, but she did appear in the 1994 workshop. Adam Kantor, Sean Bradford, and Tracy McDowell (as Alison) sang "Real Estate" from that workshop, allowing the audience get a glimpse of the progression from a workshop to the musical we know today.

Not all songs are cut because they are bad. Jason Robert Brown never wanted to lose "Being a Geek" from 13. The song was in the Los Angeles production, but when the show came to Broadway, the powers that be put in an intermission and cut the song because it was too much of a downer. Eventually, the intermission went back out but the song didn't make it's way back into it the show (though from now on it will be included in all productions). Hearing Brown speak about the process shed a little light into why 13 was in some ways doomed from the start. Plus, there's something special about hearing a composer sing his own work. Brown only appeared at the 7 p.m. concert and Joe Iconis took his place at the 9:30. Michael Friedman was supposed to sing a cut song from Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson, but he was mysteriously absent. I'm not sure if he attended the 9:30 or not, but I was really looking forward to hearing him perform. That was the only flaw in the evening.

Another highlight was "Comet On Its Way," performed by the male characters in Spring Awakening and later replaced with the show-stopper "The Bitch of Living." Again, ultimately, the creators made the right choice, but "Comet On Its Way" is lovely and it's a shame it had to go. I filmed Andy Mientus, Matt Shingledecker, and Taylor Trensch (with Freddy Hall on guitar) performing the number, but unfortunately, my camera cut off before it finished. Update: here is a link to a video of the full song.



Here's the complete set list:
1. I Said It And I'm Glad (Subways Are For Sleeping)- Kate Pazakis

2. That's The Show Biz (Ragtime)- Jessica Lee Goldyn, Bryan Knowlton

3. Real Estate (Rent)- Adam Kantor, Sean Bradford, Tracy McDowell

4. Being A Geek (13)- Jason Robert Brown

5. Travelin' Light (Guys and Dolls)- A.J. Shively

6. She's Gone (Side Show)- Natalie Joy Johnson

7. Ten Percent (Chicago)- Jeff Hiller

8. Comet On Its Way (Spring Awakening)- Andy Mientus, Matt Shingledecker, Taylor Trensch, with Freddy Hall

9. Play Game (Tick Tick Boom)- Lance Rubin

10. Spread A Little Joy (Betty Boop)- Liz Larsen

11. Tenterfield Saddler (Boy From Oz)- Kevin Michael Murphy

12. Proud Lady (Baker's Wife)- Andy Karl

13. Washing The World (Hair)- Andrew Kober, Kate Rockwell

14. Play The Princess (Bloodsong of Love)- Katrina Rose Dideriksen, MK Lawson, Kate Pazakis, Tracy McDowell