A Good Thing Going

92Y has a good thing going with the educational and entertaining Lyrics & Lyricists series. If you are a musical theater fan with no plans tonight, I suggest you get a ticket for the final performance of A Good Thing Going: The Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince Collaboration. But if you're reading this too late, at least keep the series on your radar for the future.

The program has a section devoted to each of the six shows that Stephen Sondheim and Harold Prince collaborated on as composer/lyricist and director/producer, starting with Company in 1970 and ending with Merrily We Roll Along in 1981 (with Follies, A Little Night Music, Pacific Overtures, and Sweeney Todd in between). As host/musical director/artistic director David Loud explains, it's really incredible that the team produced those enduring works in just 11 years. Hearing songs from all of them in one evening, performed by Kate Baldwin, Heidi Blickenstaff, Liz Callaway, James Clow, Jason Danieley, and Jeremy Jordan, really drives home that fact.

Each musical number, from Baldwin's "Could I Leave You" to Danieley's "Johanna" to Jordan's "The God-Why-Don't-You-Love-Me-Blues"(he'll probably make a surprisingly good Buddy in Follies some day), would make the trek to the upper east side worth it. But what really make the program memorable are Loud's stories. He played Ted in the original production of Merrily We Roll Along (Callaway made her Broadway debut in it as well) and tells about his audition and the crazy preview period, adding a personal touch.

Contest: Win Tickets To Disenchanted

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was chosen at random from the entries here and on Twitter. Congratulations, Skip!

If you've seen Into The Woods and are looking for more fairy tales with a twist, you might want to enter to win a pair of tickets to Disenchanted! It's a satirical musical about fairy tale princesses (leave the kids at home) playing at the Theatre at St. Clement's through January 25.

Lulu Picart, Becky Gulsvig, Michelle Knight, Jen Bechter, Soara-Joye Ross, and Alison Burns
Photo credit: Matthew Murphy

It's really easy to enter the contest. Just leave a comment on this post telling me your favorite fictional princess. (For the record, mine is Aurora from Disney's Sleeping Beauty, followed closely by Ariel from The Little Mermaid.) You can also tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (if you enter this way, you must be following on Twitter to win). You can enter once each way for a total of two entries. I want to choose a winner quickly so that he/she has time to pick a date to see the show before closing, so I will pick a name at random from all the entries on Friday, January 9, at 4:00 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!

It's Only A Play Reality Index

Today is the last day to see Nathan Lane, Megan Mullally, and Rupert Grint in It's Only A Play. Martin Short, Katie Finneran, and Maulik Pancholy join the cast on January 7. So in honor of the last day of the original Broadway cast, I decided to put together a brief reality index, as NineDaves and I used to do for Smash (R.I.P.).

I was reminded of Smash because It's Only A Play takes place at the opening night party of a Broadway play as the producer, playwright, lead actress, and director wait for the reviews to come in. I can suspend my disbelief at a show, but if it's about the theater industry, it shouldn't be too hard to get the details right. Terrence McNally seems concerned with getting as many laughs as possible and because of that, there are moments that ring false. I get that sometimes humor comes at the expense of accuracy, but it's not really worth it for a joke that's obvious or old.

Some spoilers follow, though there aren't many surprises in the play anyway. It's a little more difficult to do this for theater than a TV show since I can't go back and watch scenes again, so I'm sure I forgot things. Let me know in the comments if I left anything out.

Totally True 

• It gets all the names right, like Ben Brantley is the chief theater critic of The New York Times and Bob Wankel is the president of the Shubert Organization, so maybe audience members who aren't too familiar with theater will learn something and that's not a bad thing.
• Megan Mullally's character, Julia Budder, is the producer and she remarks that she is so happy to no longer be one of the "anonymous herd of investors who call themselves producers." It's true that anyone who puts money into a show calls him or herself a producer. 
• After the reviews come out, Bob Wankel calls Julia to talk about closing the show. Bad reviews could mean that the theater owners would try to get a new play in there fast. That's what happened with Side Show.
• There is a rumor of a Broadway revival of The Music Man starring Audra McDonald. This probably isn't going to happen, so I guess it should go in the other column, but I'd see that.
• There is a line about up-and-coming playwrights, which is really long and includes many playwrights who have already made it. But up-and-coming often just means young, so this is accurate.
• This doesn't have anything to do with realism, but bonus points for introducing Micah Stock as the coat check boy Gus. He and Lane get the most laughs and his performance of a popular showtune is the highlight of the show.

Oh Hell No!

• Why is the opening night party at the producer's apartment? Sure, it's a good a way to get a nice, ornate set (thanks to Scott Pask) that doesn't need to move (which is actually commented on in the play), but wouldn't it make more sense to have it at Glass House Tavern or something? Or the Marriott Marquis, where the actual It's Only a Play party was held?
• I don't care who is involved with a show, there would never be that many celebrities at an opening night party. Lady Gaga? Hillary Clinton? The Pope?
• A running gag is that Gus brings coats into the bedroom, declaring who just arrived at the party. For example, he announces the cast of The Lion King while carrying African clothing and the cast of Rock of Ages with leather garb. Actors don't wear their costumes out of the show. This bothered me every time and is the main reason I wanted to do this reality index. Though I did laugh out loud when he brought in what looked like a jacket for a baby and announced Daniel Radcliffe's arrival.
• F. Murray Abraham plays a critic named Ira Drew, who is reviewing the show. He would not be at the opening night party, let alone listening to the others read Brantley's review when he hasn't even written his own yet.
• There is a joke about kids throwing snowballs outside and that it's the cast of Matilda because no one can understand what they are saying. I'm sure those professional actors would not be throwing snowballs and they wouldn't be speaking in British accents outside the show.
• And while we're on the subject, though sometimes casts do go to opening nights together, every cast of every Broadway show would not be there. 
• The character James Wicker, an actor on a popular television show, is played by Nathan Lane has a line about liking The Addams Family and another about Nathan Lane. How can Nathan Lane exist in a world in which Nathan Lane is playing another character?
• Characters talk about how successful Wicked is and also talk about how a show that gets a bad review in The New York Times can't run. You know what got a bad review in the Times? Wicked. It just seems lazy not to mention that.
• Jokes about James Franco's Instagram scandal and Shia LaBeouf's Cabaret incident are true, but they already feel tired. And Jeremy Piven? What is this, 2008?

Broadway Magic

Whoever decided to include a Broadway stop on The Illusionists--Witness The Impossible tour is pretty smart. It's in town through January 4 and though it's not exactly a holiday show, it is sure to attract an international audience, especially with its location at the Marriott Marquis Theatre. And there is even snow.

The Illusionists is a group of seven charismatic magicians with very different talents and styles. They are Yu Ho-Jin (The Manipulator), Dan Sperry (The Anti-Conjuror), Jeff Hobson (The Trickster), Andrew Basso (The Escapologist), Kevin James (The Inventor), Aaron Crow (The Warrior), and Adam Trent (The Futurist). 

After a bit of warming up from Trent, there is an overblown opening number with dance, smoke, costume changes, and a moving train. The problem is that audiences can see that kind of illusion in almost any Broadway musical. More impressive are the smaller, quieter moments, like 2014 Magician of the Year Ho-Jin's ability to make cards appear out of nowhere and change colors. It's the type of trick that makes you wonder, "How did he do that?" and isn't that what magic is all about?

Other highlights are Basso's escape from a tank of water while handcuffed and Sperry's manic technique while performing with birds and terrifying an audience member.

Yes, there is a lot of audience participation, especially in Hobson's and Trent's acts. Sometimes they ask for a volunteer and sometimes they choose, so no one is safe. But if you've always wanted to be in a Broadway show, this might be your chance.

Q&A & Ice Cream With Josh Kaufman

This morning, I joined the new star of Pippin and winner of the sixth season of The Voice, Josh Kaufman, for the unveiling of the new "High-Flying Sundae" at Serendipity 3. It consists of three scoops of Neapolitan ice cream, hot fudge, raspberry sauce, sour rainbow ribbon candy, whipped cream, a circus swirl lollipop, and dark chocolate covered popcorn. I was particularly a fan of the popcorn and ice cream together.

The sundae in all its glory (glory).

When he's not in the show or doing promotional events like this one, Kaufman is working on his first single. After trying the sundae, he was nice enough to sit down with me for a few minutes before his two shows to talk about the journey from The Voice to Broadway.

Q: How did you go from a show geared toward getting a recording contract to doing theater?

A: Honestly, it was kind of a freak thing after the show. I was on The Voice tour over the summer and the guy who runs my website got in contact with me while I was on the tour and said, "Hey. You just got this message through the website about a Broadway show. I looked it up and it looks like it's for real, so you might want to get in contact with them." And it just happened that Bernie Telsey from Telsey + Company was at one of the live shows of The Voice and saw me there and got the idea to get in contact with me about this. It's not an avenue that people probably expected me to go down, but it's something that I've always been interested in and enjoyed, so when the opportunity came up, I thought I at least have to give it a shot.

Josh Kaufman, now playing Pippin on Broadway.

Q: Are you still in touch with any of the coaches from The Voice?

A: There is a guy who works really closely with Usher on all of his albums. He has sort of a musical director role in everything Usher does. He actually worked with him on The Voice. I do keep in contact with him and let them know what is going on with me. Usher had me come out over the summer to a dinner he had with his non-profit organization, Usher's New Look, in Atlanta. It's focused on education. It's a really good organization. I sang a song there. So, I've kept some contact, but obviously the guy's ridiculously busy. He's on tour right now.

Q: When you were going to do this, did you have to run it by them? Did you have obligations with the show besides the tour?

A: I did have the obligation to do the tour and really beyond that, everything flips over to the record label. I signed with Universal Music Group Republic Records and so it's more them that I have obligations to now. NBC and The Voice, I'm kind of finished with that. Everything shifts over to the record label, so I did have to make sure that this would all work because obviously I've signed a contract, so I have to make sure that there are no conflicts, but we were able to work all that out.

Q: Did you get to work much with Diane Paulus [the director] when you were preparing?

A: I did a lot of working in the studio with the stage manager and him reading lines and going through things with him, just the two of us. The day before my put-in, I had time with all of the principal actors and with Diane. She was real intense and would give any notes she could think of to give me as we'd go along, so it was a really good session, very helpful. 

Q: Is Broadway what you expected it to be?

A: That's a hard question because I don't know how many expectations I really had. It was more just go into it and figure it out and see what it is as I go. I saw the show and I knew what I would have to prepare for. I knew it would be a lot of work and a lot of time to put in. But I went into it pretty open-minded.

Pippin starring Josh Kaufman runs through January 4 at the Music Box Theatre.

A Strong Start to The New Group's 20th Anniversary Season

The New Group kicks off its 20th anniversary season (in its new space at the Pershing Square Signature Center) with the first major New York revival of David Rabe's disturbing 1971 play Sticks and Bones. Director Scott Elliott, the company's artistic director, does perhaps his finest work here (at least that I've seen) and has assembled the right ensemble of actors, led by Bill Pullman, who should probably star in at least one of The New Group's productions per season.

From left: Ben Schnetzer, Raviv Ullman, Bill Pullman, Holly Hunter. Photo credit: Monique Carboni

Ozzie (Pullman) and Harriet (Holly Hunter) are a typical American couple--just like in the sitcom The Adventures of Ozzie and Harriet--in a typical American home (rendered perfectly by Derek McLane). Their son Rick (Raviv Ullman) plays guitar, always greets his parents with a smile, and has a healthy appetite. However, their perfect world starts to fall apart when their oldest, David (Ben Schnetzer), comes home from Vietnam, blind. He is haunted by the memories of his lover Zung (Nadia Gan), but his family doesn't want to hear about her and they don't know how to deal with this new angry presence in their home. The characters are too prone to exhausting monologues, but surprisingly, this play still has the power to shock.

Perhaps it would feel more dated in less capable hands. Schnetzer caught my attention a few months ago in the film Pride and here he again proves that he is an actor to watch, giving David more dimensions than just an outlet for Rabe's anger. Hunter delivers a manic performance, but she could have reigned it in more at the beginning. While Pullman's Ozzie slowly unravels, she speaks in the same high-pitched, high-strung manner throughout. Ullman gives a layered performance, going from comic relief to creepy. When the play ends, it's a relief to be rid of this toxic atmosphere, but, especially as we're approaching Veterans Day, it's a reminder that not everyone has that luxury.

Tziporela Brings Its Quirky Brand of Comedy to the U.S.

Combining dance, music, comedy, and charming accents, Israeli theater troupe Tziporela is a welcome addition to the downtown theater scene. The company is making its U.S. debut with Odd Birdz at the Players Theatre. Most of the show is in English, though a lot of the sketches are wordless. And when they do speak in Hebrew, it is translated, usually adding to the comedy.

There are 24 scenes--enough to appeal to a variety of tastes. I enjoyed some sketches more than others and I'm sure everyone will have their own preferences based on individual sense of humor. I probably laughed the most at "A Real Date" starring Ben Perry and Tamara Klayngon (see video below), which addresses what people would say on dates if they were completely honest.


Another personal favorite is Perry and Dana Ivgy as a musical duo singing "Something Stupid" and changing the lyrics from "I love you" to actual stupid things a person might say. Ivgy is also a standout in "This Thing Called Love," in which she alternates lip syncing as a man and a woman, creating a dialogue in song lyrics. Gal Friedman and Tomer Nahir Petluck comment on some of the differences between Odd Birdz and a typical Off-Broadway show as a hilarious old couple arguing in the audience. The entire ensemble, which also includes Efrat Aviv, Danny Isserles, and Lotus Etrog, is effortlessly in sync with each other.

As we exited the theater, the cast shook our hands and thanked us for coming (they had also greeted us when we arrived with Hershey's Kisses) and then had a "Something Stupid" singalong, inviting audience members to suggest their own stupid lines. Odd Birdz closes on November 19, but Tziporela should feel free to come back any time.

This Play Has A Hot Tub And Takes You Back In Time

It sounds like a good writing exercise: write a play which requires an actual Jacuzzi. I'm not sure if that's what gave The Debate Society (Paul Thureen, Hannah Bos, and Oliver Butler) the idea for the appropriately titled Jacuzzi, but there's more to the play, written by Thureen and Bos and directed by Butler, than just a hot tub. And that doesn't take away from how impressive it is that they were able to get a working Jacuzzi in the small Ars Nova space.

Left to Right: Paul Thureen, Chris Lowell, Hannah Bos. Photo credit: Ben Arons

The reason for the Jacuzzi? Robert (Peter Friedman) always wanted one at the family ski chalet, but his wife didn't allow it. He got the place in the divorce, so he finally has one installed. When the play begins, Erik (Thureen) and Helene (Bos), are relaxing in the tub. Bo (Chris Lowell) shows up, a night early to meet his father, and assumes that Erik and Helene are renters. When his father arrives the next day, Erik and Helene say they are there to install the Jacuzzi. Robert asks them to stay to help pack up things that need to be sent to his ex-wife.

Costume designer Jessica Ford, props designer Noah Mease, and set designer Laura Jellinek provide early '90s period details like bright neon ski suits, VHS tapes, and an answering machine, but this isn't your typical '90s nostalgia. It's clear that Erik and Helene aren't what they seem--they keep telling Bo and Robert different stories about their families that don't match up. More is revealed through Helene's narration in between scenes, but more questions are also raised (some of which are never answered), creating a horror film-like suspense I've rarely experienced at the theater. Thureen and Bos strike a perfect balance between creepy and friendly with their smiles and often vacant facial expressions. Robert and Bo aren't the most likable people, but in Friedman and Lowell's carefully crafted portrayals, it's hard not to feel a little sorry for them and their struggle to get the love they need from each other.

Tickets are only $35, but the run (through November 1) is almost sold out.

Revivals on Broadway

Do you remember those old NBC commercials for reruns? "If you haven't seen it, it's new to you." That's how I feel about revivals. Though sometimes they seem like the safe choice, there will always be a new audience for a show. With all the theater I've attended in my life, there are still many classic plays and musicals that I've never seen. I recently had the chance to see You Can't Take It With You by Moss Hart and George S. Kaufman and Love Letters by A.R. Gurney for the first time.

Photo Credit: Joan Marcus

The 1936 play You Can't Take It With You is frequently performed in school and community theaters, and it seems like most theater people were in it or involved with it at some point, but somehow I went this long without being exposed to it. After seeing the current production at the Longacre Theatre, I understand the lasting appeal. It's a delightful story about an eccentric family, the Sycamores. There is Penelope (Kristine Nielsen), a wannabe playwright, and her husband Paul (Mark Linn-Baker), who makes fireworks. Their daughter Essie (Annaleigh Ashford) is a dancer and candy maker married to Ed (a standout Will Brill), who plays the xylophone. Grandpa Martin Vanderhof (James Earl Jones) cares for his pets snakes and doesn't believe in paying income taxes. Alice (Rose Byrne, making a charming Broadway debut) is the normal one and when she falls in love with Tony Kirby (Fran Kranz), who comes from a respectable family, she is worried about how the two families will get along. For all the hilarity, it is also quite moving how much the Sycamores love each other. I saw an early preview of the show, but it could have been running for months for how in sync everyone was (as directed by Scott Ellis).

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

To be honest, Love Letters--a 1989 two-hander in which actors sit and read letters--sounded boring to me, so I was surprised by how quickly I got into the story. Actors will rotate in the production at the Brooks Akinson Theatre. The first cast is Brian Dennehy as Andrew Makepiece Ladd III and Mia Farrow as Melissa Gardner. Conservative Andy and wild Melissa met in elementary school and the play is told through their letters, cards, and invitations to each other. They are convincing as children, but not too over-the-top, and they transition seamlessly into the different ages without the benefit of costume or makeup changes. Farrow, who has the more showy role, hasn't been on Broadway since 1980, but this performance, in which she conveys so much beneath the surface of the letters, proves she belongs here.

This season, I look forward to more revivals of shows I've never seen--The Real Thing, Side Show, On The Twentieth Century, to name a few--and also plenty of new works, maybe some of which will also become classics.

Contest: Win Tickets to Stalking the Bogeyman

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was chosen at random from the entries here and on Twitter. Congratulations, philipleeny (P.S. Great entry)!

Stalking the Bogeyman opened at New World Stages on Monday. Based on the true story made famous on the radio show "This American Life," it follows journalist David Holthouse's secret pursuit of justice for a crime hidden for 25 years. Markus Potter adapted Holthouse's story for the stage and directs. I haven't seen it yet, but it sounds like a powerful story, and heavier than standard New World Stages fare. I'm giving away a pair of tickets. The winner will receive a voucher good for a variety of dates.

I think it's interesting that the source is a radio show. Last night I saw a musical based on a magazine. Since I'm thinking about different types of source material, in order to enter the contest, leave a comment on this post telling me something (it could be anything) that you think would be good source material for a play or musical. You can also tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (if you enter this way, you must be following on Twitter to win). You can enter once each way for a total of two entries. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Money, October 6, at 3:00 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!

Q&A with Mark Childers, Bookwriter of the Musical Love Quirks

The new musical Love Quirks started out as a song cycle by composer/lyricist Seth Bisen-Hersh. Now it's a book musical about four roommates (two straight women, a gay man, and a straight man) living together in New York City and falling in and out of love. Mark Childers was asked by his brother, Love Quirks director Brian Childers, and Bisen-Hersh to write the book scenes.

The cast of Love Quirks: (from left) Teresa Hui, Brian Shaw, Lauren Testerman, Robert McCaffrey.
Photo credit: Mark Childers

Childers says that he and Bisen-Hersh work really well together, which made it easier to write a book for a collection of songs that already had a structure. "Seth is a great guy to work with. I feel we have a strong collaborative process in the sense that we don't hold back. We are very honest with each other and willing to listen to one another; rewrites, new dialogue, new songs, plot changes. It's all part of the process and we both really enjoy that side of it," Childers says.

Another challenge was writing in Bisen-Hersh's voice, so the songs wouldn't feel disconnected from the dialogue. Childers was able to do that by listening to him in conversations, but what he found most helpful was watching him work. I also spoke to Childers about how audiences can help in the development of the show, working with his brother, and what's next for Love Quirks.

Q: It says on the website that you intend to improve the show in front of an audience as a stepping stone to a commercial Off-Broadway run. Has the audience reaction been helpful to you so far?

A: Yes. When you see an audience see it for the first time and you didn't know something was funny, that's the fun part. You're listening for something and they're laughing at this other part and you're thinking, "I didn't write that to be funny." And then stuff that's [written to be] funny, they're silent. We're definitely learning a lot from audiences and we look forward to our next round of rewrites.

Q: So, are you rewriting now or are you waiting until this run is finished?

A: I write every day in my head. I'm always writing. I could change everything. You're always doing that because that's what writers do, or at least I do. You're always looking to improve. Especially when you're in the process. That's the mindset that you can change those things. But what's been nice is someone eventually takes it away from you and the production team has taken it away from us. I cannot make changes for this run, but we are absolutely thinking about it constantly. Looking to the next draft. Looking and thinking forward. 

Q: Bookwriting seems like a difficult job. People often blame the book when a musical doesn't work. Why did you want to get into that?

A: I started writing because I had stories. I've written for musicals. I've done this before for a book musical with material that was also existing except it wasn't already structured [The Kid from Brooklyn: The Danny Kaye Musical]. I write because I have stories to tell. Why do I write? I'm masochistic? I can't answer that question.

Q: Do you have any inspirations?

A: Probably the play that made me want to write was Six Degrees of Separation. The first time I read Six Degrees of Separation, I decided I was going to be a writer.

Q: What's it like working with your brother?

A: Working with my brother is great, actually. We make a great team and we've had lots of practice at it because he was part of The Kid from Brooklyn. We've worked together back in the day when I used to get up and do shows. Back in--I'm not telling you what year--he was Tony and I was Riff in West Side Story. So we've been working together for a long time. And if we fight through it, we fight through it and it always stays about the piece. We don't cross those lines.

Q: What else do you want people to know about the show?

A: I want people to know that this show is a lot of fun. It is not heavyhanded. It is just heart and just come and have a great time and laugh. Don't come in here looking to have your life changed or anything, but just remember moments in your life that you can relate to. The music is great. The actors are fantastic.

Love Quirks is playing at Theatre 54 through September 28. $30 tickets are available here.

Interactive Theater on Governors Island

I'm not usually into audience participation. I'd rather watch the actors from a safe distance. I'm also not good at making decisions. I'm always afraid to make the wrong choice. So Trade Practices, an interactive theater experience in which audience members choose how to invest their time and money, took me out of my comfort zone. But I'm happy to say I survived and even had fun.

Left to right: Mike Iveson, Peter McCab, and Dax Valdes. Photo credit: Carl Skutsch

Trade Practices is produced by HERE and performed at Pershing Hall on Governors Island. If you've never been to the charming Governors Island, which is a quick $2 roundtrip ferry ride from Manhattan, that's reason enough to see the show.

Audience members are given colored tickets upon arriving and are soon greeted by enthusiastic intern Darlene (Brooke Ishibashi), who shows a welcome video about Tender Inc., the fictional company that makes the paper that American money is printed on. Then the audience is divided into groups based on ticket color. I was sent to the executive office to see the opening scene of the owners storyline (the others are communications, management, and workers). After the first scene, everyone heads to the trade floor and and we are told to talk to others to find out about other stories and trade tickets for a different scene (each opening scene is repeated once). I chose to see workers because apparently I make my theater decisions based on which actor seems funniest in the short introductions (that would be Daniel Kublick as foreman Franklin). At the next regroup, everybody is given money, which is used to buy stock in stories and gain admittance. Between each scene is a trip to the trading floor with more chances to buy stocks in other stories or sell your own. That was probably the closest I'll ever be to being on a trade floor, and I enjoyed the rush.

Jenniffer Diaz (purple jacket), Dax Valdes (green jacket). Photo credit: Carl Skutsch

The show was created by Kristin Marting and David Evans Morris (also credited with the idea's conception). Scenes were written by Erin Courtney, Eisa Davis, Robert Lyons, Qui Nguyen, KJ Sanchez, and Chris Wells. I saw at least one scene from every story except for management, so I have to live with never knowing what I missed out on. Some of the stories went in strange directions (assassins and robots were involved), but I don't want to reveal too much and influence your decisions if you see the show. The financial advisers (played by Mike Iveson and Daphne Gaines) were necessary to tell the audience what to do, but long discussions about their personal lives and musical numbers are unnecessary when there is already so much going on. (The running time is over two hours with no break.)

At the end, I was left with stock in communications and workers, worth $11. I had the option to trade it in for a tchotchke, origami, or real money at a horrible exchange rate. I went for the real money, just to see how much I'd make. I earned 38 cents, but that's still 38 cents more than I had when I arrived.

How Zak Resnick Became My New Theater Crush

You might not have heard of Bert Berns, but you've definitely heard his songs. "Twist and Shout." "I Want Candy." "Hang On Sloopy." Just to name a few. People remember who performed these songs, but not who wrote them, in large part because he died at the young age of 38 from heart problems. The new musical A Piece of My Heart sets out to bring him out of obscurity. This may not been part of the original plan, but it also introduces audiences to Zak Resnick, who plays Berns.

Photo credit: Jenny Anderson

Yes, he's attractive (see photo), but it is his gritty voice that leaves the biggest impression (considering he shares the stage with talent including De'Adre Aziza, Leslie Kritzer, and Derrick Baskin, this is no small feat). I'm going to need a cast album, so I can hear him sing those songs again. He also has an easy charm and later in the show makes for a believable tortured musician.

I know there's more to theater than cute boys, but I also felt it was my duty to get Resnick on your radar. You're welcome.

The Atomic Bomb Set To Rock Music

When I told my mom I was seeing a new musical Atomic (she likes to hear about the shows I see), she said, "Like the atomic bomb?" and laughed, thinking it couldn't actually be about that. But I explained that I was indeed seeing a musical about the atomic bomb, or at least about the team of scientists who developed it as part of the government-funded Manhattan Project.

Photo credit: Carol Rosegg

But as unlikely a topic as it may seem for a musical, there's a lot of rich material. Perhaps too much. The book by Danny Ginges and Gregory Bonsignore mostly focuses on Leó Szilárd (Jeremy Kushnier), whose discovery of the nuclear chain reaction was crucial to building the bomb, but it also packs a lot in--a framing device in which J. Robert Oppenheimer (Euan Morton) is giving testimony at the Atomic Energy Commission hearings and even the love story between Leó and his wife Trude (Sara Gettelfinger). As a result, it doesn't give each adequate space and it sometimes feels unfocused. Atomic is at its best when exploring the ethical questions (Should the bomb have been dropped even though the war was essentially over? Did they save even more lives in the long run than they took?) and the psychological effects on the team after the dropping of the bomb.

The music by Philip Foxman, who co-wrote lyrics with Ginges and Bonsignore is generic rock and all the songs sound pretty similar, but the cast, which also includes David Abeles as Arthur Compton, the leader of the project, and Jonathan Hammond as a sex-crazed Enrico Fermi, really brings it vocally, especially Kushnier. It's unfortunate that Morton only had one song, but he makes for a fun narrator. You could do a lot worse for a summer musical.

Contest: Win Copies of Martin McDonagh Plays

Update: The contest is now closed. The winner was chosen at random from the entries here and on Twitter. Congratulations, Pandora!

The Cripple of Inishmaan, one of my favorite productions of the season, is sadly closing soon--on July 20. Maybe you saw the play and want to learn more about McDonagh or maybe you're already a fan of his other work, but I'm giving away copies of his Tony-nominated plays The Beauty Queen of Leenane and The Lonesome West.

In order to enter the giveaway, leave a comment on this post telling me which plays of McDonagh's you've seen or read. You can also tweet about the contest or retweet one of my tweets about it (if you enter this way, you must be following on Twitter to win). You can enter once each way for a total of two entries. A winner will be chosen at random from all the entries on Friday, July 10, at 3:00 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!

And if you want to know more about The Cripple of Inishmaan, here's a backstage video with the always charming Daniel Radcliffe, including a tour of his dressing room as well as Sarah Greene's:

Phantom Take Three

Photo credit: Matthew Murphy

I know it's not cool for theater kids to admit to liking The Phantom of the Opera, but I do. The story is a fascinating one (there's a reason the 1909 book has been adapted so many times). I first saw the musical in 2001 and was mesmerized by the opulent world. When I revisited it in January, 2010, I still enjoyed it, but it wasn't quite as impressive as I remembered, especially the chandelier, which seemed far punier and slower-moving. But when Norm Lewis joined the cast as the first African-American Phantom on Broadway, I knew it was time for another trip to The Majestic. And I'm happy to report that this time the 26-year-old show felt exciting and fresh, thanks to Lewis and Sierra Boggess breathing new life into their characters.

For those of you unfamiliar with the story (it has come to my attention that many frequent theatergoers have actually never seen it), Christine Daaé (Boggess) is a chorus girl at the Paris Opera House taking singing lessons from a mysterious tutor. When Prima Donna Carlotta (Michele McConnell) drops out of an opera, Christine takes over. Raoul (Jeremy Hays), who she knew as a girl, is in the audience, and is instantly smitten. But her tutor, the Phantom, is very strict and in love with her. Christine doesn't have much to do but sing and look pretty, but Boggess gives her more of a personality, hinting that there is more to her than someone passively letting things happen to her. Lewis's voice is glorious as always. When he is wearing his mask, he makes for a sexy Phantom, but he also taps into his tormented side. His "The Music of the Night" is worth the price of admission.

The last time I saw another long-running show, Chicago, it felt rundown, like everyone was going through the motions. Not so with Phantom. The whole company was present in the moment. Though the chandelier still doesn't live up to the memory of the first time.

Broadway Up Close

Though I know a lot about Broadway, I still have more to learn, and I recently had the chance to do that on a Broadway Up Close walking tour, which caters to all prior knowledge levels. Our tour guide John Scacchetti is a dancer/actor who made his Broadway debut in 42nd Street. He was also in Patti LuPone Gypsy, so I've actually seen him on Broadway. I did Act I of the tour, which you have to complete before taking Act II and Act III. Act I only covers 41st through 44th Street. I expected to cover more ground, but there was a lot to see in those four blocks.

We started in front of the Nederlander and continued to other current and former theaters. As long as I've been coming to Times Square to see shows, there were some buildings that I had no idea used to be theaters. John used an iPad to show us what the inside of some of them looked like. My favorite stop was the final one, the Belasco. We learned about how it is haunted by the ghosts of producer David Belasco his former lover, the woman in the blue dress. Other than Hedwig and the Angry Inch, the theater's current tenant, the only two successful shows there have been Shakespeare revivals. And the architect George Keister was apparently a huge Shakespeare fan. We also learned that the word drag queen comes from Shakespeare. When all roles would be played by men, those playing women would be labeled on the cast sheet with the letters DRAG (dressed as a girl) so that the costume designers would know.

I don't want to give away too many fun facts. I'll save that for John and the other tour guides. If you're interested in booking, you can fill out a form on the website (there is a not a set schedule).

Michael Shannon is Killer (But Not The Killer)

Let me just get this out of the way: I'm not that into Eugéne Ionesco. I think it's important for critics to acknowledge their biases because everyone has them and I prefer realism to absurdism. But while The Killer is not my type of play, if any theater company can make me enjoy it, it's Theatre for a New Audience.

Photo credit: Gerry Goodstein

Michael Shannon plays everyman Berenger. Some say he's miscast in the role, but I found him convincing and it is nice to see him play against type. It was especially a pleasure in the scenes where he is at his most euphoric, such as in the first scene, when Berenger is learning about a radiant city that he wants to move to from the architect (Robert Stanton). Berenger's bubble is burst when he finds out there is a killer loose and Berenger makes it his mission to find and stop him.

Director Darko Tresnjak's, who just won a Tony for A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder, vision is an eerie one, realized with the help of lighting designer Matthew Richards and sound designer and composer Jane Shaw. He balances the humor--Kristine Nielsen and her cartoonish facial expressions are a highlight--and the horror--the killer's (Ryan Quinn) maniacal laughter still haunts me. 

What You Missed at the 2014 Theatre World Awards

For me, the highlight of theater award season is the Theatre World Awards ceremony. It recognizes twelve actors making a significant, reviewable Broadway or Off-Broadway debut. The recipients are announced in advance, so there are no losers and the evening is a celebration of the theater community.

Christopher Plummer received the John Willis Award for Lifetime Achievement.

According to host Peter Filichia, 122 men and 66 women were eligible this year and those were narrowed down to Paul Chahidi (Twelfth Night), Nick Cordero (Bullets Over Broadway), Bryan Cranston (All The Way), Mary Bridget Davies (A Night With Janis Joplin), Sarah Greene (The Cripple of Inishmaan), Rebecca Hall (Machinal), Ramin Karimloo (Les Misérables), Zachary Levi (First Date), Chris O'Dowd (Of Mice and Men), Sophie Okonedo (A Raisin in the Sun), Emerson Steele (Violet), and Lauren Worsham (A Gentleman's Guide to Love and Murder). Chahidi and Hall were not present. Chahidi is in London rehearsing for the stage version of Shakespeare in Love, but he did make a recording expressing his thanks, and it was not mentioned why Hall was not there. The rest of the recipients were presented their awards by former winners as is Theatre World tradition. Unfortunately, the ceremony is not televised or available on livestream, but I'm here to fill you in on what went down at Circle in the Square last night. These are just a few of the highlights:

• John McMartin presents "young discovery" Bryan Cranston his award: McMartin, who received his Theatre World Award in 1960 for Little Mary Sunshine, stars in All The Way with Cranston. McMartin thought he should try to look at his co-star with new eyes. "I said to myself, 'Ooh the potential here,'" he said, adding, "Please, please don't let Hollywood steal him away." 
• Zachary Quinto and Celia Keenan-Bolger are siblings from another mother: Quinto (2011 recipient for Angels in America) presented Keenan-Bolger with the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater for her performance in The Glass Menagerie, saying, "I never had a sister until I played Tom in The Glass Menagerie and now I'll have one for the rest of my life." When Keenan-Bolger accepted the award, she said, "My takeaway from [The Glass Menagerie] is that," and pointed at Quinto. She spoke about how much she loved Dorothy Loudon growing up due to her obsession with the Annie cast recording and concluded her moving speech by saying, "If my five-year-old self knew I would get an award named after the lady who played Miss Hannigan, I would still be jumping on my bed."

Zachary Quinto presented Celia Keenan-Bolger with the Dorothy Loudon Award for Excellence in the Theater

• Ben Daniels surprises Sophie Okonedo: When Okonedo accepted the award from Daniels, who won in 2008 for Les Liasions Dangereuses, she expressed shock that he was there. She said that they had been best friends for 20 years since meeting doing a show at the Old Vic and she had asked him to accompany her to the ceremony, but he claimed he was busy. She had known about the award from Daniels, who told her it was the best thing he ever received. Her speech, in which she mentioned that this is the first award she's received, was so gracious and genuine that I'm tempted to buy a ticket to A Raisin in the Sun.

  

  Sophie Okonedo, one of this year's recipients

• Zachary Levi and Len Cariou meet: Sometimes the presenters and recipients are dear friends and sometimes they've never met. But usually in the latter case, the presenter has seen the performance and can speak to that. But Cariou (1970 recipient for Henry V and Applause) hadn't seen First Date and expressed his regret that no one was there who could say lovely things about Levi (I hoped they had at least asked his Chuck co-star Yvonne Strahovski, who won last year). It was a little sad, but they both handled it well. And it made for a cute moment when Levi took the stage and said, "It's a pleasure to meet you." 
• Rob McClure makes me want to buy a ticket to Honeymoon in Vegas: McClure, who received the award last year for Chaplin, performed the title number for the Broadway-bound Honeymoon in Vegas and if the rest of the musical is as good, it could end up being a must see.
• We find out how the Billys are doing: In 2009, Trent Kowalik, David Alvarez, and Kiril Kulish won a Theatre World Award (and a Tony) for portraying Billy in Billy Elliot. Kowalik, now 19, is a college student and updated the audience on the whereabouts of the other former Billys. Kulish is in California and Alvarez (the Billy I saw) is in the army. Kowalik said they were living their dream and wished the same for Emerson Steele. Steele, who was cast for the City Center production of Violet via an open call, said her dream was to be on Broadway and her even bigger dream was to be opposite Sutton Foster. 

  

  Billy Elliot's Trent Kowalik, all grown up

• Keala Settle leaves everyone with a great mental image: Settle, who won last year for Hands on a Hardbody, made fun of her Les Misérables co-star Ramin Karimloo for being Canadian and the way he plays softball. She then quoted Will Swenson, "Ramin, more than any other co-star, has made me question my own sexuality." At the end of his speech, Karimloo said, "I have many things to discuss with Will Swenson. Then he should talk to Audra." Given that Audra McDonald has said in interviews that she was kind of hoping Valjean and Javert would kiss, I think she'd be fine with it.
• De'Adre Aziza and Mary Bridet Davies reunite: Aziza (2009 recipient for Passing Strange) described her former A Night with Janis co-star as "cords of steel and a heart of gold." She spoke about how important it is to have humility and graciousness when you are the lead in a show and said that the cast looked up to Davies as their leader even though some of them had more stage experience. Davies was visibly crying when she accepted the award and said that the show was about the woman who made Janis who she was and that's what the cast did for her. She also probably spoke for all the winners when she said that she was never cool growing up, but "I'm fucking cool now."
• Chris O'Dowd speaks the truth: O'Dowd's speech was of course hilarious, but the highlight was when he said what I'm sure everyone in the industry has thought: "The Wednesday matinees I could do without."

Samuel D. Hunter Hits Me Where I Live (Again)

It's hard for me to talk/write about Samuel D. Hunter's work because I have such a strong emotional response that feels very personal to me. So I suggest you stop reading right now and just buy a ticket to The Few, which opened last night at Rattlestick Playwrights Theater. This is only the second of his plays I've had the pleasure to see (the first was The Whale), but I already consider him one of my favorite playwrights. He writes about people whose lives are so distant from my own (in the case of The Few, truckers), yet his characters are so relatable.

Photo credit: Joan Marcus

The play, set in 1999 (immediately obvious even before the play begins thanks to Dane Laffrey's detailed, cluttered set), begins with Bryan (Michael Laurence) returning to the Idaho offices of the newspaper, also called The Few, that he started with his friend Jim and his ex-girlfriend QZ (Tasha Lawrence). They started the paper to give truckers something to read to help them feel less alone. In the four years Bryan's been away, having disappeared after Jim's death, QZ has turned the paper into personal ads--more enticing to advertisers. She has also employed Jim's nephew, 19-year-old Matthew (Gideon Glick). Hunter reunites with director Davis McCallum, who never rushes the work or the three actors.

Matthew spends much of the play trying to remind Bryan of what the paper used to be and could be again by reading its mission statement: “If you ask us what our agenda is, we’ll tell you that we don’t know. If you ask us why we started a newspaper for truckers, we’ll tell you it’s because we had to.” In The Whale, a piece of writing was also finally read aloud in a beautiful and significant way. As a writer and a reader, I like to believe that writing has value and the power to affect lives. Hunter's work makes me believe that it does.