Media Morsels 2.26.10

• “St. Jimmy’s Coming Down Across the (Shubert) Alley Way…”
  The box office at the St. James theatre, home to American Idiot is now open. This means that you can go to the box office to purchase your ticket and save $7-10 on service fees. Tickets for opening night are still unavailable to the public, but I’m going to keep trying! In the meantime, make your way over to the St. James on 44th Street, right in between Sardi’s & The Helen Hayes Theatre and John’s Pizzeria, and get ready to rock out on Broadway! Visit Americanidiotonbroadway.com for all the details.
  
  In other American Idiot news, Green Day will receive the Character Approved Award. What is that, you ask? It’s a made up award with a really good mission statement. USA Network, which airs habit-forming fun fluff such as Royal Pains and White Collar, trades on the brand “characters welcome,” indicative of the many characters populating the network’s shows. The Character Approved Award “is a celebration of the real characters making an impact on our culture today,” according to USA executive vice president Chris McCumber. All honorees are featured in clips that premiered at a ceremony on Thursday and are set to be shown on USA and online at characterapproved.usanetwork.com. As part of the celebration, the American Idiot cast performed during the ceremony, which was hosted by Royal Pains star (and The West Wing alum) Mark Feuerstein. Visit the Green Day character approved channel for some musings from Green Day front man Billie Joe Armstrong.
  

• Great Review for a Great Play
  Clybourne Park officially opened at Playwrights Horizons this week and New York Times theatre critic Ben Brantley gave it a glowing review. (Click here for my review.) Congratulations to the cast, playwright Bruce Norris and director Pam MacKinnon.
  
  In related news, Playwrights Horizons announced this week that Clybourne Park would, due no doubt to the stellar reviews, extend its run by two weeks. Originally scheduled to close on March 7, the terrific new play will now run through March 21. Take advantage of the extension and book your tickets now!
  
  
• Glee Scoop
  Lea Back on Stage
  Broadwayworld.com reported on an item in the Post this week saying Lea Michele may be heading back to Broadway in a role specifically created for her. The show centers around the trials and tribulations of a Texas high school drama group trying to produce Rent. I’d rather see Lea in something not so Glee-esque, just to see her stretch a little more but any chance to watch the petite powerhouse on stage again is welcomed. (In case you part of the uninitiated, Lea plays lead glee club diva Rachel Berry on Glee and was incredibly moving and compelling as Wendla in Spring Awakening.) Whether she'll be able to come back to stage anytime soon isn't clear, as her Glee schedule keeps her pretty busy, between filming the end of this season, season two and the planned summer tour this lady is booked.
  
  Mr. Shuester Goes to Washington
  Actually, more like the Glee kids. EW is reporting that FLOTUS and the kids are big fans of Glee, and have invited the McKinley High misfits to perform at the White House Easter Egg Roll on April 5. This is a delicious development and a wonderful “so there” to NBC and the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which rescinded their invitation for the kids to perform. Man, it’s good to be the First Lady!
  
  Neil Patrick Harris Confirmed for Glee
  Up until now, NPH’s rumored guest appearance on Glee has been just that - a rumor. But E! is confirming that Harris is definitely filming an episode. Sources say that his character will be somewhat diabolical, along the lines of Harris’s Dr. Horrible character, making him the perfect whippersnapper to deliver Glee’s trademark one-line zingers. Glee-suit up!
  
  
• How We Gonna [Direct] Rent?
  In other Neil Patrick Harris news, this week rumors swirled that the one time Mark Cohen will direct the upcoming Hollywood Bowl summer production of Rent. That production is set to take place from August 6-8. There’s no official word confirming this, but I’ll let you now as soon as there is!
  
  UPDATE: It was just announced that Harris is confirmed to direct Rent. Casting is still to be announced. Stay tuned for more updates.
  
  
• U2 + Lenny Kravitz = Musical Bliss
  U2 announced that Lenny Kravitz, along with Interpol and The Fray, will alternate as opening acts for U2 on their upcoming summer tour. This is going to be a massive tour by a legendary band (they are Hall of Fame inductees) and reasonably priced tickets are still available for lots of dates. Visit u2.com for more tour details.
  
  
• Eyes, Look Your Last
  Reports surfaced this week that the late and great musician Jeff Buckley’s catalog would be used to score The Last Goodbye, a new musical that’s being touted as a rock and roll Romeo + Juliet. (“The Last Goodbye” is also the name of one of Buckley’s songs.) According to Variety (as reported on Playbill.com) a New York industry reading is in the works, and the show is looking to make its stage debut next season. Buckley’s mother, Mary Guibert, is collaborating on the project. In his too brief career, Buckley was heralded as one of the greatest of his generation. His full-length debut record, Grace, features “The Last Goodbye” as well as a heart wrenching version of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” which was used to tear-jerking perfection in "Posse Comitatus", the season three finale episode of The West Wing.
  
  
• A Nightmare Before Nightmare
  Sean William Scott recently said he’d like to see Tim Burton’s fantastic claymation movie A Nightmare Before Christmas be adapted into a stage musical and, wait for it, that he would like to star in it as Jack Skellington. I don’t have anything witty to say about this, I’m just presenting this information as a public service announcement. You’ve been warned.
  
  
• The Revival’s Got Potential
  The successful West End revival of Evita may be heading to the great white way. Argentina’s own Elena Roger would repeat her appearance as Evita and producers are hoping to snag a star to play Che. Apparently they’ve reached out to Ricky Martin (who was upstaged by an adorable Lea Michele while presenting at the Grammy awards) but Martin hasn’t responded. The really good news here is that the uber talented choreographer Rob Ashford will once again set the cast's boogie shoes in motion, as he did in London.

Leo, Leaps and Love

Leo
Shutter Island, the psychological thriller that marks the fourth collaboration between Leonardo DiCaprio and Martin Scorsese, opened on Friday, February 19. In a rare move for me, I saw the movie in the theatre on opening day. When I arrived, I remembered why I don’t normally go to a new movie on opening day, and as I sat and waited for the movie to begin, I remembered why I don’t go to movies in the theatre, opening day or otherwise, very often. After washing up and buying my popcorn, I approached the entrance to the auditorium only to find there was already a line to get in – 35 minutes before the movie was set to start. Fortunately, I ended up getting the seat I would have normally chosen, but that’s not always a guarantee. Lesson learned: When Alice in Wonderland opens, wait at least until its second weekend to go see that fantastical world in 3-D. Then, while waiting in my choice seat for the movie, I had the pleasure of listening to a woman behind me complain about everything, give procreation advice and drop an F-bomb as every third word. Seriously, if I were on a naval ship I wouldn’t have heard so much cursing. This woman had a bad attitude that was, I learned from her loud talking, no doubt exacerbated by the fact that she just had surgery. I love Leo, but if I’d just had surgery, I would be home, either on the couch or in bed – not in a movie theatre. And definitely not in a scary movie. (I actually tried to watch a thriller – at home – after oral surgery. It didn’t work. I fell asleep, missed the clues and was altogether completely discombobulated.)

Despite the pre-show aside, the movie itself was very good and thoroughly engaging to watch. I won’t say too much about what happens so as to allow you to experience it for yourself, but the basic set up is Leo’s character is a federal marshal who, along with his partner played by the always good and understated Mark Ruffalo, is sent to investigate a disappearance from Shutter Island, home of an asylum for the criminally insane.

Leo is great here, committing fully to a demanding role and totally immersing himself in the painful world of Teddy Daniels. Daniels is tormented by flashbacks of his deceased wife and of his time as a soldier, when he saw the aftermath at Dachau. There are moments when the camera focuses only on Leo’s face and there’s no dialogue and no musical cues. They aren’t needed. Leo’s eyes tell the story of a traumatized man trying to make sense of it all. In each new movie I watch him in, I think, “This is his best performance to date.” Like a fine wine, Leo just gets better with age.

The technical aspects of this film are nothing to sneeze at, either. Scorsese uses his camera to help tell the story. When the focus is on Leo’s character, or we’re seeing something from his perspective, the edits are quick and sharp; snippets of the same scene are overlapped and spliced together out of order, adding to a sense of uncertainty. Meanwhile when our focus is on the surroundings and we’re out of Teddy’s head, the shots are long and flowing. We see bright colors and understand that because this perspective is so different, something is definitely out of joint on this island.

The movie is helped by great supporting actors, too. As mentioned above, Ruffalo is reliably good as Leo’s new partner. He is so soft spoken but also sturdy and strong. It’s a delicate balance that Ruffalo strikes just right. Sir Ben Kingsley is also effective here, being slightly creepy and impossible to read – in a good way. You can never quite tell what he’s up to which works perfectly for his role. And Patricia Clarkson shows up near the end and is, as always, terrific. These great supporting actors help to round out a movie that could have easily been the Marty and Leo Show, but instead turned out to be an ultimately satisfying film.

(Check out this interview Roger Ebert recently conducted with Leo.)

Leaps
The Saturday matinee at City Ballet was an All Robbins program so I knew I’d be in for a treat. The program consisted of two pieces: The hour long Dances at a Gathering (which I’d never seen before) and the West Side Story Suite (which I’d seen several times before.) Both were fantastic.

Dances at a Gathering really did seem like dances at a gathering. The whole piece felt like a school dance flashback. First, we watched a solo male dancer as if he was dancing a memory, moving about the stage with a both wistful expression and a slight hesitancy. Watching him, I felt like was watching him get ready for the dance. Next we saw a couple, perhaps on their way to the dance, also dancing from memory. They danced around each other with a youthful playfulness as they relived a bygone era. The next couple came out with such exuberance – they must have been at the dance already – and were energetic and fun. The whole group of ten dancers (mostly principal, with a couple of soloists) was extraordinary; the dances were like little tableaus you might see at a dance. First you watch this group dance. Then this couple. Then this trio with partner swapping. One boy-boy pas de deux could have been subtitled “Anything You Can Do I Can Do Better.” And watching two virtuosic dancers show off for each other was a real treat. Standout dancers from this piece included the gravity defying Jonathan Stafford, the nimble and skilled Jared Angle and the whimsical Maria Kowroski.

After an intermission that was full of fun people watching came the West Side Story Suite. This is how West Side Story is supposed to be danced. I love seeing this piece because it’s the best of West Side Story – the music and the dancing. In the Suite, which Robbins adapted for ballet after adapting some of the numbers for Jerome Robbins’ Broadway, we’re treated to the song and dance of the prologue, “Something’s Coming”, the dance, “Cool”, “America”, the rumble and “Somewhere”.

The prologue started it off. You know how it goes. The snap that turns into snaps that turns into rough-and-tumble gang boys leaping across the stage. Watching the Jets and Sharks jete in unison is nearly breathtaking. Next is “Something’s Coming”. Benjamin Millepied was playing Tony and watching him bound across the stage asking “who knows, could it be…” made me want to be that thing that was “twitching at the dance.” At that dance, the Jets and the Sharks let off steam the only way musical theatre characters know how: Through dance. I remember watching the movie of West Side Story as a kid and wanting to learn the entire dance routine. I still do! The dance is also where Tony and Maria meet. I always liked their tender encounter, with the wilting knee circles and the snaps. Millepied and soloist Kathryn Morgan did not disappoint.

Once Tony and Maria meet, Bernardo immediately tries to put the kibosh on the fledgling romance, raising temperatures for all the Sharks and the Jets. So, the Jets go to cool off. “Cool” is such a cool number. It’s different in the show from what’s in the movie with regard to its context and tone, but the beautiful choreography remains the same. This group of 13 dancers, led by the talented principal dancer Andrew Veyette as Riff, snap, crackle and pop across the stage with uncontrollable teen angst. These kids just have to get something off their chests and in each leg lift or jump or jazz hand, you see that energy coursing through their body. Same goes for the Sharks’ ladies, led by the sassy Anita. Played by corps de ballet member Georgina Pazcoguin, Anita is vibrant as she and the ladies rejoice in the freedom found in America.

Next is the rumble and the “Somewhere” ballet. Both are done very well here. The rumble is pretty standard. There isn’t too much impressive dancing to be done but the music is phenomenal (thanks, Leonard Bernstein) and the goings on are integral to the story. Finally, the Suite ends with “Somewhere”. Someone should tell Arthur Laurents that this is how the sequence is done. No random child singing with Tony and Maria. Just a heavenly place where the lovers can be together and where the two sides can come together – no more fighting – and just be one. It’s is beautiful and powerful, and a wonderfully bittersweet end to the Suite.

The greatness of the Suite reminded my why West Side Story is one of the greatest American musicals of all time but it also made me upset that the current revival of the entire show isn’t up to par. I fear that young people coming to see West Side Story at the Palace won’t be inspired to engage in musical theatre or dance the way that I’ve been by great theatre over the years. I mentioned this to a friend and he suggested that perhaps it’s because of my knowledge of theatre and my discerning taste that I have that view; that maybe kids with little or no exposure will watch the revival and, not knowing it could be greater than good, will be inspired. I hope he’s right. For now, I’m just going to listening to my West Side Story tribute album, featuring Selena singing “A Boy Like That” and Chick Corea and Steve Vai dueling it out in percussive virtuosity during the rumble.

Later on Saturday night, I headed over to Joe’s Pub to catch “The Bare Bones of Joe Iconis and Michael R. Jackson”. Joe Iconis is a songwriter I’ve been following for a few years. He’s my peer with a loyal following, particularly among the NYU theatre crowd. (He’s an NYU alum.) Usually, Iconis’s shows are jamborees, with him at piano and tons of friends helping him out on guitar, drums, kazoos and vocals. These are raucously fun events, but Saturday night’s program was more stripped down. Jackson and Iconis relied on a piano, a guitar for one number and a few guest vocalists who helped them out on several numbers. Jackson’s songs are a little darker and don’t quite stand on their own as well as Iconis’s do. You see, many of both songwriters’ songs are taken from musicals they have written or are writing. Iconis’s songs are witty and snappy and can hold their own on their own. Overall, the bare bones sounded great, and it’s always a good time when you’re spending the night at one of the best live venues in town.

Love
On Sunday, I saw Hair for the 11th time. I totally get why Spinal Tap like to take it to 11. The show was awesome, as always. The treat, for me, was seeing Paris Remillard (who is staying with the NY Tribe once the other Hippies cross the pond) go on for Claude. You could tell he was having a great time with the role and I really liked some of the choices he made in order to make this his Claude. The bonus to all this was that I was there with my family. My younger cousins see me post things about Hair on Facebook on a daily basis so it was especially nice to get to share the Age of Aquarius with them. It was even nicer when one of them came with me to dance on stage during the curtain call. It is always a wonderful way to release all the energy and emotion that has built up during the show. The extra-bonus was spotting pond-jumping Luther Creek taking notes in the audience and chatting with him after the show. (Fun side note: Luther was the first Roger I ever saw in Rent.) He’ll be playing Woof in London, a role originated in this iteration by the magnetic Bryce Ryness. Luther seemed truly excited to get a crack at the show and even a little reverential to be filling Bryce’s shoes. Have a jolly good time, Luther, et al, and break your bones!

Media Morsels 2.19.10

• Vicky Cristina Dracula?
  The New York Post reported that Oscar winner Javier Bardem, who was handsome and mightily seductive in Woody Allen’s Vicky Cristina Barcelona, might make his Broadway debut in a proposed revival of Dracula. Who knows if this will actually happen, seeing as there is another producing group aiming to bring the play off-Broadway with F. Murray Abraham as Van Helsing and an unknown actor as the blood sucker. (I’d also like to take a moment here to note that I’d love to see Jason Segel flesh out and fully stage his fledgling and sympathetic Dracula musical, A Taste for Love, puppets and all. Watch Forgetting Sarah Marshall. You’ll agree.) All I know is I certainly wouldn’t mind watching Bardem hulk around on stage for a couple of hours. (Also, I recently watched, for the first time, No Country for Old Men, which featured Bardem in his Oscar winning role. It was a chilling and curt movie, with quiet performances from the great cast but I think There Will Be Blood was better and should have won for Best Picture. That long opening one-shot shot was breathtaking. Just saying.)
  
  
• Together Again
  The brilliant director Matthew Warchus and the gifted actor Mark Rylance, Tony winners both, are teaming up again for a revival of La Bete. This play is opening on the West End this summer prior to its September Broadway bow. Rylance was directed by Warchus in Boeing, Boeing two seasons ago and rightfully won a Tony. Warchus was nominated but didn’t win until the following year (last season) when he beat himself and won for directing God of Carnage. I think he should have won for The Norman Conquests, but I’m glad he won at all. Warchus is a phenomenal director with an inspired knack for farce. Can’t wait to see what happens when he and Rylance team up again!
  
  
• Glee Sneak Peek
  Can’t wait until April 13 for more Glee? Me neither. That’s why I’m watching and re-watching this snippet of a sneak peek of the upcoming episodes, which includes a taste of the Madonna episode and a glimpse of Jonathan Groff in full-on Vocal Adrenaline mode!
  
  
• Award Season Update
  Oscar telecast producers have asked nominees to prepare an acceptance speech that is short on names and instead briefly tells viewers what the award means to said winner. Winners who wish to thank actual people are encouraged to use the “Thank You-cam” that will be awaiting them in the wings. Apparently the producers think the stories are more viewer-friendly but I disagree. I think the winner should say whatever comes to mind when he or she or they is up at the podium. Of course each winner is free to do this as the telecast is live, but I think it’s insulting for the producers to even suggest what the winner should say. It’s the winners’ moment. Let them thank their parents and their agent and their dog. I think some of the most moving speeches are when the winner thanks – and tells why they’re thanking – an important person. Reese Witherspoon, for example, gave a lovely and moving speech when accepting her Oscar, thanking her parents for supporting her and being proud of her no matter if all she did was make her bed. Reese won her award back in 2006 and I still remember her speech. I hope that whoever wins this year (I’m not naming names so as not to “tempt the wrath of the whatever from high atop the thing”) says whatever comes to mind and those producers can lump it.
  
  In other Oscar news, Deadline.com is reporting that the five nominated songs will not be highlighted this year. Instead, the telecast producers are making room for the five extra Best Picture clips that need to be shown since they’ve widened the field to ten nominees. I think the musical numbers are some of the more entertaining parts of the telecast (who didn’t simultaneously thrill and cringe when Three 6 Mafia performed?) though I understand, from a producers perspective, the need to show clips from all the films. I just hope that they don’t try to throw in any of those terrible montages. In my opinion, the awards ceremonies should be about the awards, and the only montage should be a simple and tasteful In Memoriam segment.
  
  
• (Mostly) New Hippies
  The new Tribe for Hair: The American Tribal Love Rock Musical was announced on Tuesday. The reported rumor from last week that Diana DeGarmo and Ace Young would be part of the Tribe are in fact confirmed by this announcement. Some (mostly anonymous) readers commented last week to say that DeGarmo has several theatre credits to her name. Yes, she does. Some of these same readers commented that she’s talented and that perhaps my skepticism was unwarranted. Let me clarify for those who inferred that I doubt her commitment to theatre: I don’t. I mentioned that I was skeptical of her commitment to Hair – to its core and heart and soul – just as I was skeptical of Gavin Creel joining the Tribe when it transferred from the Park to the Hirschfeld. I loved the incarnation in the Park so much and was fearful that changing even one thing about that production would cause it to suffer. My skepticism was blown away by the fantastic and exuberant Gavin Creel – who not only is an extremely gifted performer, he is also charming, funny and living the ruach of Hair. I hope that each of the new Hippies pulls a Gavin Creel on me, if you will. I hope that each of them is authentic and sincere and I’m very much looking forward to March, when I’ll have the chance to see how the new Tribe looks, sounds and feels.
  
  DeGarmo will take over the role of Shelia, currently brought to life by Cassie Levy, and Ace Young will embody Berger, played brilliantly in the pond-jumping Tribe by Will Swenson. Staying on this side of the pond are Vanessa Ray (who is Crissy; she took over for cutie Allison Case, who’s on leave – and probably heading to Manchester, England, England.); Briana Carlson-Goodman (a swing who I’ve seen go on as Crissy – she gives a very tender performance); Jay Armstrong Johnson (a swing who I saw go on for Claude – he was very good!); Rachel Bay Jones (continuing as Mother); Josh Lamon (Margaret Mead/Dad – Lamon is taking over this role from current Margaret Mead/Dad, Andrew Kober after taking over his current Tribe role from Hair alum and American Idiot cast member Theo Stockman); Nicole Lewis (Tribe, part of the “White Boys” trio; I also saw her go on as Shelia and she was fantastic!); and Paris Remillard (Tribe – he has a beautiful voice that sounds like honey; he also sometimes covers Claude.)
  
  Read the announcement on Broadwayworld.com for the full Tribe. And check out these photos and these photos of the new Hippies. (My favorite photos are the ones with Oskar Eustis, Diane Paulus and Jim Rado – I adore him!)
  
  Check out these videos, too: The new Tribe singing Let the Sun Shine In; Oskar Eustis and Diane Paulus talking about finding the new Tribe and the cast’s excitement about starting the show.
  
  
• Lessons from Leo
  One of my favorite actors, Leonardo DiCaprio, is currently gracing the cover of Esquire magazine in support of his new film, Shutter Island. (Expect a review within a week – Leo can get me into a theatre like no one else. To wit: I’m seeing the movie on opening day.) On their website, Esquire offers a sneak peek into the issue, including what they call “Ten Essential Lessons” from the endlessly talented actor. Check out these lessons, then check out the full article in the magazine and then watch the movie! (Or mix up the order – whatever floats your boat!)
  
  
• The Power of Artistic Expression
  On Wednesday, the New York Times published excerpts of an email conversation between its two theatre critics, Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood. The subject was: Can theatre create a dialogue about immediate subjects? Noting the politically tilted shows set to open this spring, particularly American Idiot(!) and Next Fall, the two men discussed theatre’s power in the zeitgeist. I think it’s an interesting discussion to listen in on and I’m glad that they both have a favorable view of American Idiot and Next Fall.
  
  For what it’s worth, I’ll reiterate my two cents: Art is powerful. As I said in my review of American Idiot, the Berkeley run, “I believe an artist’s job is to express what we, collectively, are feeling… The artist shares [these feelings] with the world as pure and honest public group therapy; art allows us to experience our emotions and collectively rejoice, rock and roll in the commonality of these shared human feelings.” So yes, Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood, I do believe that theatre can create a dialogue about immediate subjects. And it should be noted that just because the media has stopped reporting on a subject doesn’t make it any less immediate in our minds. So while it may take a while for a topical play to actually make it onto a stage, (what with readings, workshops and out of town try-outs) they are still important and the topics are likely still percolating in our noggins.
  
  
• Bernadette Peters Sings for You
  A handful of tour dates for songstress Bernadette Peters were announced this week, including dates in New York and South Florida (March 26 at Lynn University). Visit Playbill.com for the full list of tour dates.
  
  
• Inside J. Robert Spencer’s Dressing Room
  Broadway.com recently took a peek into Next to Normal’s J. Robert Spencer’s dressing room. In this pictorial essay, he highlights five items that are particularly meaningful. My favorite is number three, a picture his father took to remind Spencer where he came from and where he is.
  
  
• The New Gabe
  Speaking of Next to Normal, as you may know Aaron Tveit left the show in January. (I was at his final performance and it was truly awesome.) Taking over the role of Gabe is southern charmer Kyle Dean Massey, who covered the role last summer when Tveit was in Seattle with Catch Me If You Can. Kyle Dean has been keeping a vlog of his adventures at the Booth theatre and this week’s installment (the seventh in the series) features the trick to getting your microphone in place and some secrets of the stage door. I haven’t seen Kyle Dean perform yet, but I will at the end of the month and am quite looking forward to seeing him, and seeing a different interpretation of Gabe.
  
  
• Some Enchanted Evening…
  It’s curtains for the Tony winning revival of South Pacific. The acclaimed Rodgers and Hammerstein musical will close on August 22, 2010, when it will have played 37 previews and 1,000 regular performances. I haven’t seen it yet (though I should have when it opened – dreamy Matthew Morrison was Lt. Cable and my high school classmate, Mike Evariste, was one of the sailors – he’s now in the touring company) but hopefully I’ll be able to snag a ticket before August.
  
  
• Close to The Edge
  U2’s The Edge says that Spider Man will definitely swing onto the boards. The Edge claims that Spider Man: Turn Off the Dark will open this fall, before the end of this calendar year. Just the other day a friend and I were walking by the Hilton Theatre (where Spider Man is supposed to play) and he asked, “Do you think this is ever coming to Broadway?” I said, “Yes. Bono can save the world – he can definitely save a musical.” I guess The Edge can do a little musical saving, too! (By the way, if you’re a fan of The Edge, guitars or music and passion in general – or Jimmy Page or Jack White – you should check out what I thought was the best film of 2009, It Might Get Loud. It’s 90 minutes of guitar playing. Brilliant.)

A Behanding in Spokane

You know there’s a movie star on the boards when there’s a crowd at the stage door of a new play in its second night of previews on a Tuesday night. Such was the case when I saw A Behanding in Spokane, a new play by prolific playwright Martin McDonagh. Behanding is McDonagh's first play set in America and stars film and stage vets Christopher Walken (the biggest attraction for the casual theatregoer), Sam Rockwell (a favorite of mine from Safe Men), Anthony Mackie (very good in The Bacchae in the park this past summer) and Zoe Kazan (the impressive young actress who briefly shared the screen with Leo in Revolutionary Road.) All of these accomplished actors have extensive theatre credits so there’s no carpetbagging, and all are very good in Behanding.

The plot revolves around Walken’s character, who is missing his left hand. He has dedicated his life to finding his severed limb, lost many years ago in Spokane, and at rise finds himself in a seedy hotel, waiting for two kids, Mackie and Kazan, who claim to be in possession of the appendage to bring it to him. Rockwell appears as the hotel’s quirky non-receptionist receptionist.

All the actors are very good. Walken is probably the perfect person to play this disheveled, unbalanced kook; Rockwell is funny and charming as a lovable loser; Mackie is convincing as a sensitive young man who, nonetheless, can dish as well as he receives; and Kazan is engaging as his slightly naïve firecracker of a girlfriend.

This praise is all leading up to the big but: A Behanding in Spokane is startling light for McDonagh. McDonagh is known for dark comedy and much more macabre fare. Certainly the subject matter of Behanding isn’t all gum drops and candy beans, but this is his most broadly funny, least grotesque work to date. This isn’t a bad thing. The play is still good and entertaining. It’s just not what I expected from a Martin McDonagh play.

If there is one element that doesn’t quite make sense it is Rockwell’s charming but out-of-left-field monologue that is delivered in front of a curtain and directly to the audience. Rockwell is a gifted actor and he’s plenty likable here, but the construct of the monologue just didn’t quite jibe. I saw the play’s second preview, though, so it’s possible this staging may change. I think the delivery of the speech was great and the information is actually relevant but the staging was incongruous with the rest of the play.

Having said that, I would still recommend A Behanding in Spokane to anyone who is interested in seeing a new play, particularly one with a familiar and talented cast. McDonagh’s writing is smart and sharp, if a bit salty at times. McDonagh fans may be a little disappointed at Behanding’s levity, as I was, but for theatre patrons unfamiliar with McDonagh’s canon who are willing to step a little bit outside their comfort zone and into a slighter dark twilight zone, hop a train to Spokane.

Fun bonus: Visit behandinginspokane.com, the play's official website, to watch a video of Walken reading a Lady Gaga song. Brilliant.

Clybourne Park

“Some ghosts are never gone.” That’s a lyric from Next to Normal but it’s also the main theme in the excellent new play currently enjoying its world premiere at Playwrights Horizons, Clybourne Park. Clybourne Park takes place over two acts, the first set in 1959 and the second in 2009, both in the same home in Chicago. In his thought provoking, witty and entertaining new play, playwright Bruce Norris explores timeless racial tensions and social mores in both funny and heartfelt ways without ever losing a sense of reality or needlessly crossing into preaching territory. I also like the way, particularly in the first act, the details are revealed naturally throughout the act, so we don’t know everyone’s full story from the start. I like this construction because it’s real. The play begins and we’re coming into these people’s lives “in progress.” To include some sort of expository dialogue at the beginning is ultimately insulting to the audience, as it lacks verisimilitude and also assumes they can’t pay attention and figure out what’s going on. I asked Norris if this construction was intentional and he said it absolutely was. He shares my distaste for overtly setting the scene. His writing is smart and patter-ific. The way the folks debated both the asinine and the truly important was reminiscent of Aaron Sorkin’s writing so right away I was hooked. I’ve never read or seen any of Norris’s other plays, but I will now!

Director Pam MacKinnon does a wonderful job of pacing the play, finding just the right beats to let either the laughter erupt or your heart drop. During a post performance discussion, MacKinnon was asked, since the play is still in previews, what has changed during this time. She said that some of the beats were actually different when they began; the company needed to put the play in front of an audience to really learn where the jokes actually land and what moments actually resonant. Well, I think they’ve got it down now - I wouldn’t change a thing. (I may go back after the play opens to see if there are any changes.)

Perhaps most impressive were the fantastic actors. There wasn’t a weak one among them, and I was delighted to see them seamlessly transition from their 1959 characters to their 2009 characters without treading into stock or stereotype territory. Bravo to the ensemble.

I kind of knew I was going to be impressed, though. Going into the play, I knew that Annie Parisse was featured. She was excellent last season at Second Stage’s Becky Shaw, playing the title character, so I was looking forward to seeing her here. When I read the other actor’s bios in the playbill, I realized I’d seen, including Parisse, four of the seven actors in other works - and liked them all - so I knew I was in for a treat. Starting the play were Christina Kirk and Frank Wood. Wood was good in August: Osage County a couple of seasons ago, and was tempered and serviceable here, too. Kirk I knew from one of my favorite movies, Safe Men. I had never seen her in anything but Safe Men, though she has several stage and screen credits to her name and is associated with two theatre companies. Kirk was equally believable as a fraught housewife of 1959 (in the first act) and a high strung, obnoxious lawyer in 2009 (in the second act.) Parisse was excellent in both acts, playing a deaf woman (sincerely - nothing was cheap or flip) in the first act and a modern bohemian in the second. And the fourth actor I “knew” was Jeremy Shamos, who was terribly impressive and affecting two summers ago in Animals Out of Paper, a sweet three character play that was part of Second Stage’s Summer Uptown series. Shamos played, in both acts, the center of the storm and he was terrific in both eras. In the first act he was Karl Linder, and yes, the A Raisin in the Sun reference was intentional. (Playwright Norris said, hands down, that the first act, in which a white family sells their house to unknown buyers who happen to be black, much to the dismay of the rest of the white community, was completely inspired by that play.) Linder stirs up the discussion of racial tensions and Shamos’s character in the second act, Steve, does the same thing, although amid different circumstances.

And that’s the interesting thing about this play. The circumstances are different, but ultimately the discussion about race is the same: Fifty years have passed and we still have to tip toe around the elephant in the room, engaging the various social mores of the times to get around a truly civil and substantive discussion on the subject. The language changes and the way the characters relate to and interact with one another changes, but the crux of the issue does not. We still haven’t figured out how to have a discussion about race - or gender or sexuality or disabilities - without being afraid of using the politically incorrect term and offending someone or without eliciting a rise out of someone who inferred racism where there wasn’t any expressed.

This is a terrific new play. Norris said that there is a DC production opening up (it’s going to be at the Woolly Mammoth Theatre from March through April) and given Norris’s history with Chicago’s theatres, a production will likely pop up there sometime, too. I hope that it has life after those productions because it is really so good and so important right now. Our country has a black president but that hasn’t changed deep seated feelings and tensions about race. We need to continue talking about this and other important issues, to try to understand one another better. Like great art, Clybourne Park is a catalyst for such discussion, and it’s darkly funny and entertaining to boot!

Swan Lake

Swan Lake is a classic ballet and my taste tends to trend toward the modern so when I arrived at the State Theatre on Saturday night to see City Ballet’s production of Peter Martin’s Swan Lake, I had somewhat low expectations. After the performance, I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the beauty and skill on display on the stage.

The first surprise came when the curtain rose to reveal revelers in bright oranges and greens - not at all the colors I thought I’d see. The dancing, though, left a little something to be desired. It seemed like something was out of sync among the dancers - they were not in unison and the dancing actually looked a little sloppy. This was not a sign of things to come, though. The Jester, danced by corps member Troy Schumacher, was energetic and entertaining, though he didn’t have the same kind of air in his jumps as Jonathan Stafford (or Benjamin Millepied, who I’d be wowed by later.) Before going any further, I should probably explain the story of Swan Lake.

We begin on Prince Siegfried’s 21st birthday. His friends and palace guests have gathered to entertain him. (That’s where the jester comes in.) The prince is also entertained by a pas de trois. This trio of dancers was better and more in sync than the larger group at the start of the scene but the girls’ costumes made them look like St Pauli girls. No matter. The celebration continued and everyone leaves having had a good time. The next scene is set at the lake and this is where the prince meets Odette, the swan queen. Odette and the rest of the swans are living under a spell. They become human for only a few hours each night and spend the rest of the time as swans. This spell can be broken only by a man swearing his undying love for Odette. As luck would have it, the prince falls in love with her. But, that’s not the end of the story. The second act begins much like the first - it is a birthday celebration and several divertissements are paraded to entertain the court. The villainous sorcerer Von Rotbart crashes the party and tricks the prince into thinking that his daughter (who’s wearing a disguise) is Odette. The prince proclaims his love for her and then the hoax is revealed. Back at the lake, the prince tries to make amends with the real Odette. She accepts his apology, but since he technically swore his love to two suitors, they cannot be together, the curse is not broken and Odette is doomed to remain a swan forever.

Okay, so, Prince Siegfried has had his birthday entertainment and is off to hunt by the lake where he encounters Odette and the other swans. The swans’ dancing is very beautiful. They flutter their arms and feet and float across the stage. Their formations are full of imagery. One formation in particular even looks like wings. It was a treat watching them float in and out of and around each other, using the full space of the stage. The four small swans’ dance was a lesson in precision. These dancers were fully in sync and moved as one all across the stage. Their footwork was impeccable and coincided with several bars of harp orchestration, which sounded like dancing water.

Dancing the role of Odette was principle dancer Ashley Bouder. As in previous ballets, she was technically good here and nice to watch, but not terribly soulful. I would like to seen a dancer with more expression dance this part as I think it would make the story more compelling. Making up for Bouder’s lack of passion was principle dancer (and sometimes choreographer - I’m seeing his latest world premiere this spring) Benjamin Millepied. Millepied is a fantastic dancer and his jumps were absolutely breathtaking, It looked liked he was jumping ten feet in the air. My only complaint is that I wish I saw him better: He was dressed in blue which, unfortunately, made him blend in with the backdrop and lighting - all of which were in hues of blue. Had he been in a contrasting color, he would have popped as much as his dancing did.

The second act’s divertissements were fun to watch. The real treat was Sterling Hyltin. Once again, she dazzled with both her expert technique and clear joy for dancing. She was part of a pas de quarte and while she was good in the group, she was even better when the stage was all hers. She’s been a principle dancer for only a couple of years and I’m definitely looking forward to watching her career. The act ended back at the lake. Once again Millepied wowed with his flawless performance and Bouder was graceful as she said goodbye to her love, resigning herself to the swan life. The end tableau saw the entire swan corps, headed by Odette, backlit and fluttering in place. It looked like the swans were dancing across the water and was a beautiful sight to end the ballet.

Media Morsels 2.12.10

• Next to Normal Tour to Hit San Diego
  According to subscription notices San Diego’s Balboa theatre is sending out, Next to Normal will make a stop at the naval base city in January 2011. Also making stops in San Diego will be Beauty and the Beast, West Side Story and Hair. All this is according to Broadway/San Diego and not official announcements from any of the show’s producers. So, keep checking those advertisements from Broward Center or whatever your local touring house is to keep up to date on what’s heading your way.
  


• SNL – Kind of Funny
  Despite being hosted by douche cougar extraordinaire Ashton Kutcher, this past Saturday’s SNL was pretty decent. There were two musical performances by Them Crocked Vultures, a super group made up of Josh Homme (from Queens of the Stone Age), Dave Grohl (the front man of my favorite, Foo Fighters) and the legendary John Paul Jones. Their two performances meant less time for bad sketches. Also, Weekend Update seemed longer than usual, and with the deliciously snarky Seth Meyers at the anchor desk, that’s always a good thing. The surprise was that there were actually two funny sketches. One was a made up game show called “What is Burn Notice” in which the only question of the game is “What is Burn Notice”. (As the “host” says, Burn Notice is a top rated TV show on USA – but who’s ever watched it? [Sidenote: I see advertisements for this and think the two lead actors are the two most unattractive, fake-tan stick figures I’ve ever seen.]) And the other sketch was just the funny and lovable Andy Samberg as Rahm Emanuel, making an apology for his recent gaffe. Watch and laugh.
  


• More Time
  The terrific new Donald Margulies play Time Stands Still will extend its run for one week, now running through March 27. Manhattan Theatre Club, the producing house, will push the first preview of its next play, Collected Stories, also by Margulies (and one of my favorites) by three days to accommodate Time Stand Still’s extension.
  
  Speaking of Time Stands Still, check out Broadway.com’s Q&A with the multi-talented and insightful Brian d’Arcy James.
  


• Award Show Season
  Until now, most of the award show season talk has been about movies (with the minor dalliance into music for the Grammy awards earlier this month.) And while we still have the Oscars to look forward to, some theatre award news has been announced this week. First, the Outer Critics Circle award nominations will be announced April 26th and the award winners will be announced on May 17. The winners will be honored at a dinner at Sardi’s on May 27. The OCC is made up of writers covering New York theatre for regional publications and other media outlets. Next up are the Drama Desk Awards. The Drama Desk is made up of theatre critics and writers, and honors all New York theatre: Broadway, off and off-off. The nominations will be announced on May 3 and the awards will be handed out on May 23.
  
  This is all in anticipation of the Tony awards. Tony noms will be announced on May 4 but the Tony committee meets about four times during the year, before the cutoff for nomination eligibility, to discuss in which categories various shows and actors are eligible. Generally, eligibility relates to opening night billing: Anyone’s name above the title is considered in the leading performance category and everyone else in the supporting. However, producers may petition the Tony committee to consider actors in other categories. For example, in this latest meeting, it was decided that Angela Lansbury, despite having her name above the title for A Little Night Music, would be considered in the supporting actress category. If you’ve seen the show, you know this makes sense – her role is a supporting role but because she’s Angela Lansbury, her name was above the title. The same is true for Scarlett Johansson, who is starring in the well reviewed (though not by me – I haven’t seen this yet) revival of A View from the Bridge. She’s a movie star so her name is above the title, but her role is a supporting one so that’s the category she’ll be considered in. Sometimes the opposite happens. Sometimes the leading role is played by relative unknowns (read: non movie stars), either that or no one’s name is above the title. (Like in Hair and Spring Awakening.) This year, Cheyenne Jackson, Kate Baldwin and Jim Norton, all terrific in Finian’s Rainbow and all known to the theatre community, will be considered in the leading actor/actress in a musical category, despite none of their names being above the title. You can read all about the rulings on Playbill.com but one more I’d like to mention regards Fela! The committee ruled that Sahr Ngaujah will be eligible for a leading actor nod, but Kevin Mambo, who alternates playing the role of Fela Kuti with Sahr, is not eligible because Sahr played the opening night performance. I don’t like this ruling because it is inconsistent with last year’s eligibility of all three Billys from Billy Elliot. Obviously only one of the boys performed on opening night, yet all three were eligible, together as one nomination – and won – despite this opening night detail. I don’t understand the logic behind allowing the three boys, who share a role, to be eligible and yet the two men who share a role are not. When I saw Fela!, I actually saw Kevin Mambo – not Sahr – and he was terrific. This may be a case of the producers not petitioning on behalf of Kevin Mambo, but whatever the reason behind it, I don’t agree with it. In any case, the Tony committee will meet twice more (at one of these meetings, I’m sure they’ll discuss American Idiot’s status!) before nominations are announced on May 4, and the big night is Sunday June 13. Get your best gown or tux ready!
  


• New Hippies
  With most of the current Tribe of the rousing revival of Hair getting ready to cross the pond to launch the London production, it’s time to start guessing who’s going to become a part of the new Broadway tribe. One of the latest rumors says that American Idol (blech) alums Ace Young (who?) and Diana DeGarmo (who??) will be joining the American Tribal Love Rock Musical. I really don’t know why they would start stunt casting, especially when Diane Paulus, the director, has said in the past that they spent so much time looking for the current Tribe, making sure that they not only were talented but also felt the message of Hair. I don’t know who either of these American Idol participants are, but because of their thin resume, I’m skeptical about their sincerity. But, this is just a rumor; no official casting announcements have been made so we’ll just wait and see. The new Tribe debuts on March 9 so the announcement is imminent.
  
  Read this interview with Ms. Paulus to learn about the casting process and her plans for Hair’s London bow.
  


• Side by Side by Susan Blackwell
  Episode three in this series, in which sassy [tosser] Susan Blackwell spends a day with theatre folks, features Hair’s Will Swenson (!) as well as comedic great Andrea Martin (very funny in last season’s Exit the King) and Lin-Manuel Miranda, of In the Heights fame.
  


• Glee Scoop: I love it, I love it, I love it!
  It was reported this week that funny lady and SNL alum Molly Shannon would make an appearance on the back nine episodes of Glee, which will begin airing on April 13. She’s set to play nemesis to Coach Sue Sylvester, played by the hilarious Jane Lynch. Can’t wait to see those two fearless and funny ladies go toe-to-toe!
  


• Allison Janney in Your Living Room
  The fabulous (and wonderfully gracious) Allison Janney may be heading back to the small screen. Word has it that she and Matthew Perry (another Aaron Sorkin alum – he appeared as a guest on a few episodes of The West Wing and starred in the prematurely canceled Studio 60) have been tapped to star in a new ABC pilot, Mr. Sunshine. No word yet on whether it’s actually been picked up for a full season but the pilot is in the works and with ABC canceling a couple of its current shows (Ugly Betty and Better Off Ted) they just might have some room in their schedule for one starring these two terrific actors.
  


• From the Vault
  In the back of every issue of Rolling Stone, they list the Billboard Top 40 Albums and some other charts, including a vault chart, which features the top ten singles from a back issue. Usually the vault issue is from ten or more years ago and often they’re deep “cuts”, referring to issues from the 60s. So what does it say about popular music that of the ten singles listed in this chart from 2006, I’ve heard none of them and yet when the vault issue is from 1986, or 1996 or 1966, I know almost all the songs? Looking down at this “vault” list, I recognize a couple of artists whose music I know, like and have: Beyonce and Mary J. Blige; I recognize a couple of performers I’ve heard of, but only begrudgingly: T-Pain and James Blunt; and the rest, I’m clueless about. Who in the world is Cascada? I guess what this says is that in the aughts, these “popular” performers need a little help from Galinda. (By the way, you shouldn't be deterred from the current issue, which features a picture of Lil Wayne on the cover; if you can get past that, you'll find inside a beautiful photo and a lovely profile of Jeff Bridges.)