Rally to Restore Sanity

A Rally to Restore Sanity. Ideally, such an event, held Saturday, October 30, 2010 and organized by Jon Stewart, Stephen Colbert and Comedy Central - just four days before one of the most closely watched and incessantly blathered on about midterm elections - would be unnecessary, but given the vitriolic nature of discourse in our country, particularly with regard to the media’s coverage of politics, it is, indeed, all too necessary. So here’s the encouraging news: There are a lot - we’re talking thousands upon thousands upon thousands - of people who want to restore sanity.

A few days before heading down to the Rally, I mentioned to my dermatologist that I was going. She hadn’t heard about the Rally and asked about its purpose. I said that the extremes on either side of an issue had become so loud and disdainful their rhetoric had resorted to fear mongering. What Jon Stewart was trying to promote - really what he tries to promote every night on The Daily Show - is that while we have our honest and justified differences of opinion, we can disagree without being disagreeable. My doctor then said she thought that most of the country is more centrist than anything else - that we actually agree on a lot more than it would seem. “Exactly!” I said. That’s the point of the Rally. Instead of letting the level of public debate be taken over by an inordinately loud minority, Stewart wanted people - the majority of people - to stand up and be heard: We’re mad as hell, and we’re not going to take it anymore... if that’s okay with you.

I was lucky enough to go to DC for the Rally, thanks to a free bus ride courtesy of the Huffington Post. And I wasn’t the only one: There were 200 HuffPost buses, each of which carried about 100 people. That’s 20,000 people just on HuffPost buses. Of course there were tons and tons of other people attending the rally. While there’s no official count at the moment, The Philadelphia Inquirer reports estimates at anywhere between 60,000 and 200,000. My experience tells me it’s more likely that were were 200,000 people. The bad news about that is that I couldn’t get anywhere near to the stage and could barely hear. (Truthfully, after about half an hour of trying to shimmy our way to a view, my friend and I gave up and decided to go have lunch.)

But that’s also the good news: All these people - and inarguably thousands more who couldn’t make the trip (like my parents, for example) support sanity. Truly, a majority of people support rational, high-minded, civil debate. The hope now, though, is that this Rally will energize people and get them to the polls on Tuesday.

When Stewart first announced this Rally, he said it was for the people who normally didn’t rally because they “had sh*t to do.” Often times, these busy, reasonable, hard working citizen don’t pay tremendous attention to the ins and outs of politics and unfortunately, many of them, particularly young people, don’t vote. Either they’re turned off by negative campaigning, feel they don’t know enough to make an informed decision or feel like those very loud minorities are actually the majority and therefore their vote won’t count.

Their vote does count. That is what this Rally was all about. We have to come together and make a stand. We have to show up when decisions are being made and make our voices heard. We matter. Our votes matter. We cannot afford to become complacent or jaded; we have to be a part of the process.

As I was traveling home from the Rally, I was (surprise, surprise) listening to American Idiot. As the title song poured through my headphones, I heard my beautiful Idiots sing, “Now everybody do the propaganda/and sing along to the age of paranoia.” That’s exactly what we shouldn’t do: We should not become American idiots. Instead, we have to reject the propaganda, eschew the paranoia and make ourselves heard.

Your vote is your voice. Shout out loud on Tuesday, America. Vote!!!

Visit rallytorestoresanity.com/photos to see a collection of fan uploaded Rally photos.

Media Morsels 10.29.10

• American Idiot Rocks On
  It was announced this week that American Idiot is now selling tickets through May 1, 2011. Until this point, tickets had only been on sale through January, making this uber-fan incredibly scared that the incredible musical would close in January, along with several other shows. But, at least at the moment, that seems to not be the case. Hooray!
• Bloody Bloody Bits
  Jon Meacham, who won a Pulitzer in 2009 for his biography of President Andrew Jackson, American Lion, wrote for the NY Times theatre section this week. I found this quote to be especially resonant as we approach the midterm election on November 2: “As a politician, Jackson is at once inspiring and cautionary, particularly in a season of discontent in which charismatic but not especially subtle leaders dominate the field.” VOTE!!!
  
  
  This week on Broadway.com, Kristine Nielsen, who plays the Storyteller in Bloody Bloody, wrote about her experience with the show, how rewarding it is to see young people in a Broadway house – and connecting to the material – and what it’s like to give Old Hickory (well, really Benjamin Walker) a nice little love tap on the ass!
• Mark Rylance on La Bete
  The terrific Tony winning actor Mark Rylance recently spoke to Playbill.com about his role in La Bete. He spoke of just how much fun he has on stage each night with his fellow performers. In addition, he sang the praises of on of his favorite collaborators (and one of my favorites), director Matthew Warchus. The two have worked together on several productions in addition to La Bete, including Boeing, Boeing, for which Rylance won his Tony.
  
• Speaking in Quotes
  I love quoting. Movies, shows, TV, songs – it’s sometimes difficult for me to speak (or write) without, in someway, referencing or directly quoting something. Quite often, it’s something Aaron Sorkin wrote, but I also can go line-for-line on My Cousin Vinny, or The Princess Bride or Don’t Tell Mom the Babysitter’s Dead (I’m right on top of that, Rose!). So I read with interest the recent NY Times article bemoaning the lack of quotable lines in movies in the aughts. (I should note that the article’s author, Michael Cieply, was remiss in talking about great lines and Aaron Sorkin without mentioning his classic, “I want the truth!” “You can’t handle the truth” exchange from A Few Good Men.) Personally, I think Cieply has jumped the gun a bit. He mentions that Casablanca (one of the few “classic” movies that I think still holds up and is enjoyable these days) takes up six slots in the American Film Institute’s top 100 movie quotations. But I have to wonder: Did all those lines (like, “I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship”) insert themselves fully into the zeitgeist when the film was released in 1942, or is it only now, with years of hindsight and with plenty of time for nearly everyone to see it (and therefore enough time for everyone to quote it) that “Here’s looking at you, kid” was able to make its way to the number five spot? Looking at the list, it’s not until number 21 that a quote comes from a 90s movie. (It’s from Silence of the Lambs and involves fava beans and a nice Chianti! Oh, and don’t worry, “You can’t handle the truth” is number 29. Respectable.) Did movies in the 90s and the 00s not have memorable lines? I don’t think so. I think it’s a timing thing. (Granted, there are a few lines from late 90s movies on the list and there is one from 2002’s Lord of the Rings – but I’ve never quoted it!) I also think that there are so many more movies being made these days and our collective tastes aren’t collective at all – there are rarely movies, these days, which everyone sees. It’s kind of hard to have a catch phrase when only a fraction of speaking people knows the phrase exists. (This is why, when I start quoting Safe Men, people look at me like I’m from another planet!) What are some of your favorite movie (or TV or show or song) quotes? Where do they fall on AFI’s list? Leave your comments below! (And check out more of AFI’s “top” and “best of” lists.)
  
• Allergic to Sesame Street?
  Lots of celebs know how to get to Sesame Street. This week, Idina Menzel and Taye Diggs stopped by to help the gang teach kids about allergies. Check out their lively explanation below:
  
• In Treatment
  The HBO series In Treatment is back for its third season. The show, adapted from an Israeli series, lets us be flies on the wall of psychiatrist Paul Weston’s office as he sees patients. This season, In Treatment boasts lots of theatre notables. (Not that the series wanted for good actors before: Josh Charles was in the first season and was excellent.) For starters, one of my favorite playwrights, Adam Rapp, wrote the season premiere and will continue to write and produce the “Sunil” episodes. (These are the episodes in which Paul sees his new patient, Sunil.) Amy Ryan, a versatile Tony and Oscar nominee, will appear each week in the Adele episodes, playing Paul’s new therapist. And Dane DeHaan, who was so wonderful off-Broadway in The Aliens, will appear all season long as Jesse, a gay teen seeking Paul’s help. Tune in for this well-credentialed season!
  
• Glee Scoop
  Did you watch The Rocky Horror Glee Show? Kind of awesome, right? I liked that for this themed episode, unlike some others (I’m looking at you, Britney Spears music video episode) this actually had a story line and added to character development. Also, I loved Brittany’s priceless and hilarious response to Kurt asking what she’s dressing up as for Halloween: “I’m going as a peanut allergy.”
  
  And I’d like to take a moment to remind you that in 2000, Broadway welcomed a revival of The Rocky Horror Show, starring Raul Esparza as Riff Raff, Alice Ripley as (Damn It,) Janet and Daphne Rubin-Vega as Magenta. Check out this clip Broadway.com unearthed. It’s time to Time Warp!
  
• Muppet News
  I love the Muppets, that should come as no surprise; Jason Segel (adorable and fun in just about everything from Freak and Geeks to I Love You, Man) also loves the Muppets and lucky for us, he is writing (with Forgetting Sarah Marshall collaborator Nick Stoller) a brand spanking new Muppet movie! This we’ve known. So what’s the latest Muppet morsel? Apparently Zach Galifianakis may make an appearance in the movie, which will star Segel, (probably) Amy Adams (!) and a new Muppet named Walter, according to unconfirmed reports from EW. Good news, don’t you think? I may have asked this of you before, dear readers, but who do you think should make a cameo in this latest Muppet movie? Who’d fit right in with Dr. Teeth and the Electric Mayhem? Who could be “moving right along” with Kermit? Post your answers below in the comments section. (And thanks to Melissa for pointing out this article!)
  
  
• Comings and Goings
  Coming: A Harry Houdini musical with a book written by Aaron Sorkin! Superstar and Broadway vet Hugh Jackman spoke to Broadway.com this week at the opening of Driving Miss Daisy and said that he’ll participate in a workshop of the fledgling musical this January, and mentioned the great creative team: Sorkin, composer Danny Elfman and director Jack O’Brien. (This must be the musical Sorkin vaguely mentioned in the NY Magazine article last month.) No timetable for a full Broadway run but since Aaron Sorkin’s involved, you know I’ll keep you posted!
  
  Going: In the Heights will shutter on Broadway January 9, 2011. Original star and creator Lin-Manuel Miranda will return for the final two weeks of the show. When it closes, Heights will have played 29 previews and 1, 185 regular performances.
  
• NYC Ballet Dancer Profile
  Check out this interview with Jonathan Stafford, City Ballet principle dancer. In it, he talks about growing up and dancing in Carlisle, PA, and growing with City Ballet. Consider this just a little treat to tide you over until the winter season begins in January.
  
• Farragut North Update
  News came this week about the movie adaptation of Farragut North: Houston, we have a name change. The film will be called The Ides of March. I don’t really like this change; Farragut North conjures up a very specific milieu – the exact right one for the subject matter. But I guess it’s a little obscure for people not “in-the-know.” And, based on the casting announcement, it seems like there’s a change in characters or relationships. In the play, wunderkind Stephen (John Gallagher, Jr., at the Atlantic) had a mentor (Chris Noth on stage in NY and LA) with whom he was working on the campaign. This announcement doesn’t mention anything about such a character, but does place George Clooney as the president Stephen’s trying to put in office. Ryan Gosling will play Stephen; Marisa Tomei will play a NY Times reporter (my ideal casting was Allison Janney but I’m plenty happy with Tomei); Paul Giamatti will play a rival campaign manager (Isaiah Thomas played this role on stage); and Evan Rachel Wood will play an intern who, in the play, becomes entangled with Stephen and his mentor. (Olivia Thirlby played the role on stage; she’d be great on screen but then again, most anyone would be great instead of Wood.) Filming is set to begin in February. (Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company, Appian Way, is a producing partner. Leo’s long been associated with the project and early on, there were rumblings he’d play Stephen. But he’s a little long in the tooth – as is Gosling for that matter. But, Gosling’s a great actor and Clooney’s a good director so it’ll probably turn out a-okay.)
  
• Things to Ruin
  Dear readers, I cannot stop listening to Things to Ruin, the two-disc cast recording of the Joe Iconis show which played at Second Stage last year. This music rocks so hard, it hurts. (Literally. I keep dancing and whipping my hair around – particularly to my favorite song, "Honey" – which has left me with a bit of an ache in my neck.) But it hurts so good. These songs are full of passion – both in their lyrics and performance. Congratulations to Iconis and his fantastic theatre-family for capturing raw, honest (and funny!) emotion on a record!!! Visit sh-k-boom.com to order your copy.
• Jon Stewart for President!
  Well, maybe not president but he should definitely remain on the air pretty much forever. The readers of AskMen.com agree: They voted Stewart number one on the list of the most influential men in America in 2010. And remember, dear readers, this Saturday is Stewart’s Rally to Restore Sanity. I’ll be back next week with my first-hand account.
• Go Vote!
  The midterm election is on Tuesday, November 2. Make your voice heard: Show up at your polling place and cast your vote. We can make a difference if we promise not to be complacent and speak our mind, via our vote. As they said on The West Wing: “Decisions are made by people who show up.” So show up, America!

Spirit Control

The last time (which also happened to be the first time) I saw a Beau Willimon play I had a great experience: Farragut North, which I described at the time as a less idealized episode of The West Wing, was playing at the Atlantic Theatre. The play focuses on wunderkind campaign manager Stephen, and we watch as his grasp on just about everything spirals out of control during the Iowa primaries. I saw this in fall 2008, just weeks before President Obama was elected. If that wasn’t enough to make the experience exciting and relevant, my main man, John Gallagher, Jr., was starring as Stephen. All this is a long way of saying that my expectations for Spirit Control, Willimon’s latest play, were high. While I wasn’t positively overwhelmed by anything in this play, I did enjoy it.

Spirit Control centers on Adam Wyatt, an air traffic controller. After a tragic accident we watch Adam circle for a landing, trying to find his way back to normalcy and attempting to make peace with “the incident.” The play dips and turns, and for this audience member, there was a little turbulence, but mostly it was a good, safe flight.

The play starts out very strong, with snappy, if technical, dialogue. Adam and his colleague, Karl, shoot the breeze while talking with the pilots in the sky. I was on the edge of my seat as the accident unfolded but unfortunately the rest of the first act flew at a lower altitude. During intermission, I found myself thinking, “Beau should stick to politics.” I was pleasantly surprised (and corrected!) when the second act revealed itself to be strong, complex and thoroughly engaging. At the beginning of the second act, we see how Adam’s life has changed in the 12 years since the incident, and throughout the rest of the play, we see him coping with changes every day, all the way up to the present day. The audience – and Adam – is not quite sure what’s real and what’s therapeutically-imagined but it all culminates in a satisfying ending.

The performances here are strong. Jeremy Sisto (of “God, Elton, can’t you suck!” Clueless fame) leads the cast as Adam. I liked him right away and then not so much in the last scene of act one. I thought he was playing one-note. But then act two began and he brought such color to Adam as he aged and tried to reconstitute his relationship with his son, Tommy. As his son, Aaron Michael Davies is great to watch. We meet him as a teenager, when he has lots and lots of resentment built up toward Dad. As the act progresses, Tommy gets older (by the end of the play he’s about 30) and Davies transitions well from juvenile, petty hang ups to real, adult grudges.

I had the unexpected fortune to stick around for a post-show discussion with assistant director Portia Krieger and the playwright. While I couldn’t get my question in and find out what inspired Beau to write about aviation in St. Louis, I did find it satisfying to hear him talk about the experience of finding out about the characters he’d written through the actors’ performances. He also admitted to intentionally making certain moments or themes a little ambiguous and challenged us to think about it and make our own decisions. For that, I thank him very much! I liked Spirit Control. And while it’s not ready to take flight on Broadway right now (I have no idea if that’s an aim) I would like to see it worked on a little more, possibly enjoying regional or other New York runs, during which the story and performances can be even more fleshed out and sharpened.

(Read the NY Times review here, and visit mtc-nyc.org for more information about Spirit Control or to buy tickets.)

Media Morsels 10.22.10

• Griftopia
  We’re actually going to sell the Brooklyn Bridge. This time, the conmen are American banks, foreign (read: largely Arab) “sovereign wealth funds” and some politicos, and we, the American people, are being duped. This is the main thesis of “America on Sale”, a rich excerpt, courtesy of Rolling Stone, from (my favorite) Matt Taibbi’s soon to be released book, Griftopia. The book will hit shelves on November 2 but RollingStone.com is offering this insightful preview now. I love reading Taibbi because he’s one of the few honest investigative journalists out there. He has a knack for uncovering all sorts of unsavory goings on in our culture – whether in politics, the economy, foreign affairs or even the NFL – and distilling and presenting it so it’s understandable, informative and, believe or not, funny. Check out the excerpt here and then pre-order your copy of Griftopia!
  
  
• Bloody Bloody Bits
  Just two bits this week: GQ (more on then below) talks to sexypants Ben Walker, star of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson. He tells GQ about working on early incarnations of Spring Awakening (with a certain Lea Michele), his rocky start in New York and his mama-in-law-to-be Meryl Streep rocking out!
  
  And Bloody Bloody will be featured tonight on PBS’s Need to Know. Click here for a preview and then tune in tonight (or check your local listings for repeat airings) for the full interview with writer/director Alex Timbers and Ben Walker.
  
  
• Glee Scoop
  You remember when, a month or so ago, I mentioned that Carol Burnett would be appearing on Glee? Well, her episode now has an official air date. Ms. Burnett’s episode will air on Tuesday, November 23 – just before Thanksgiving. Carol Burnett on Glee, likely engaging in a snarky tête-à-tête with Jane Lynch? Why, that’s definitely reason to give thanks!
  
  Also, Lea Michele may be one step closer to defying gravity on the big screen. This week, Wicked’s composer Stephen Schwartz said that while the movie is still in a fledgling production stage and fans shouldn’t get too excited, he admires Michele and that “it’d be silly to say she wouldn’t be under consideration” for Elphaba. He also let slip that Wicked: The Movie would likely be in 3-D. While I’m not a huge fan of the gross appropriation of 3-D in films in which it’s totally unnecessary and just another way to jack up prices, I’d venture to say that it makes some sense here. Think about watching Elphaba literally defy gravity as she flies off the screen. Pretty cool, huh?
  
  GleeQ! In the crazy-nonsense-of-the-week news, the Parents Television Council (really? We need this? We can’t just have parents keeping an eye on what their own children watch?) voiced objections to a Glee pictorial in the upcoming issue of GQ. Seems Cory Monteith, Lea Michele and Dianna Agron are scantly clad (well, the women are; Monteith needs to be clothed so GQ can show metrosexuals how to wear houndstooth.) and posing in rather provocative and tantalizing tableaus. Says the Council’s out of touch president, “It’s disturbing that GQ…is sexualizing actresses who play high school-aged children.” What he doesn’t understand is that the actors are not teenagers. They just play them on TV. As the E! Online report points out, Monteith is 28 and the ladies are both 24. Focus on your family, Council members, not everyone else’s. (And for what it’s worth, Lea had a breakthrough on Broadway just a few years ago when she played 14-year old Wendla in Spring Awakening, baring her breasts and simulating sex on stage. (Sounds racy but the entire scene was actually a very beautiful moment in the show.) Is it okay with the Council because she didn’t do it on television?) I’ve looked at the spread. Yes, they’re overtly sexy. And yes, these folks are successful enough and talented enough (especially Lea) that they don’t need to use the sexy gimmick to get ahead, but they’re adults and wouldn’t do something to which they felt morally opposed. Besides, playing dress up is fun. And to be honest, isn’t it kind of gratifying to have someone to want you to pose like that? (Not saying I’d be inclined do it but it’s nice to have your physicality admired.) Later in the week, Agron issued something like an apology, making sure, though, to note parents’ responsibility in controlling what their kids see. In my opinion, she should have just stressed that, and nixed the apology.
  
  
• This Blog Piece Will be Presented Without an Intermission
  Howard Sherman, a contributor to the American Theatre Wing’s blog, recently posted about the umbrage he took after a tweeter (I think that’s what they’re called; I prefer to think of them as twits.) sang the praises of intermission-less shows (both musicals and straight plays). Sherman argued that while intermission-less shows are becoming more and more commonplace, we would be remiss to champion this practice and encourage writers to strive for it. Instead, he argues (and I wholeheartedly agree) that writers should write until the story is finished. If this means Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is 95 minutes with no intermission, fine. If it means The Norman Conquests is six-plus hours, with intermissions and meal breaks, fine. (I, along with Blythe Danner and Richard Kind, marathoned it with The Norman Conquests the day before the Tonys last year and had the most wonderful, laugh-filled time.) Playwrights and composers and librettists and lyricists and artists of any stripe should not feel constrained to make their art fit someone else’s box. Instead, they should write what is honest, and their pieces should last as long as they need to. Kudos to Sherman for so eloquently making this point.
  
  
• Side by Side by Susan Blackwell
  The tart-tongued talent is back, dear readers! This time, she’s taken her microphone and video camera to the Broadway Flea Market, a one day event during which shows (Broadway and off) stars (and some semi-stars) and more come out to auction off and sell, well, everything. Shows offer set pieces, stars offer autographs and guilds offer tons of resources and relics. Watch as Susan dishes with Kyle Dean Massey (our favorite Goodman family member), stage and screen vet Patrick Wilson, the hilarious Julie White, Memphis’s leading lady, Montego Glover and others about the swag they’re selling…and their underwear.
  
  
• Casting News (and Lots of It!)
  Several weeks ago a cast was announced for the film adaptation of the Tony winning Yasmina Reza play God of Carnage. You’ll remember that, originally, it was to star Kate Winslet, Christoph Waltz, Jodie Foster and Matt Dillon. This week, Deadline.com reported that Dillon has been replaced by everyman John C. Reilly. (Theatre fans may remember him as Amos Hart in the film version of Chicago. Comedy fans may remember him as Will Ferrell’s sidekick in just about everything else.) Also, with this update came with clarification as to who is actually play who. Foster and Reilly will portray Veronica and Michael (Marcia Gay Harden and James Gandolfini on stage) and Winslet and Waltz will portray Annette and Alan (Hope Davis and Jeff Daniels on stage). Filming will begin in February.
  
  In other casting news, Deadline.com is also reporting that film and sometimes stage director Baz Luhrmann workshopped a film adaptation of The Great Gatsby, with none other than Leonardo DiCaprio in the titular role. (For a stage adaptation – or rather, recitation – go see Gatz at The Public. It’s six hours of actors reading the novel – and supposedly it’s fantastic.) Also in the workshop were Tobey Maguire, reading Nick, and Rebecca Hall, reading Daisy. While I’m not an outright Luhrmann fan (I loathed Moulin Rouge) I did really enjoy Luhrmann and DiCaprio’s previous collaboration in the 90s, Romeo + Juliet.
  
  Theatrical casting news: Philip Seymour Hoffman will tread the boards next fall (ah, Next Fall. What a beautiful play. But I digress…) as Willy Loman in a Broadway revival of Death of a Salesman. The revival will be directed by the reliable Mike Nichols. Salesman doesn’t have a home yet or an official open date, so stay tuned for details.
  
  The full touring cast for Next to Normal has been announced. Joining Alice Ripley (who will reprise her Tony winning performance as Diana) will be Asa Somers as husband Dan (I saw Somers play the doctor when the show was at Second Stage and thought he was weak. Maybe he’s gotten better?); Emma Hunton as Natalie (she was in the replacement cast of Spring Awakening); Curt Hansen as Gabe; Preston K. Sadleir as Henry; and Jeremy Kushnier as Dr. Madden/Dr. Fine (I love listening to Kushnier on my Footloose cast recording and he was the best Roger I ever saw, aside from Adam Pascal. I think he’d make a better Dan than Somers). The tour kicks off in LA this November and will make stops throughout North American through early next summer.
  
  Chris Rocks Broadway! Comedian Chris Rock will make his Broadway debut this spring in a new play, co-produced by the Public Theatre, Motherf**ker with the Hat. The play is set to begin previews on March 22 in anticipation of an April 11 opening at the Schoenfeld theatre. In …Hat, Bobby Cannavale (Trust, Sex and the City (on TV)) will play a recovering addict and Rock will play his sponsor. Tickets are not on sale yet but they are sure to sell quickly as fans flock to catch one of America’s favorite bullshit artists stand-up philosophers comedians on stage.
  
  Additional casting has been announced for the HBO film Too Big to Fail, an adaptation of the Andrew Ross Sorkin book. (You just know he uses “Ross” so we doesn’t get calls from folks thinking they’re talking to the brilliant Aaron Sorkin, only to find out they’re talking to an economist!) Joining the previously announced Billy Crudup will be stage and screen vets Bill Pullman and Matthew Modine. (Also on board are William Hurt, Paul Giamatti, Ed Asner and Cynthia Nixon, among others.) The film is set to begin production this month; look for it to earn myriad Emmy nominations next year.
  
  Robin Williams will be returning to Broadway, this time in a play, not just a one-man show, that brings with it some dramatic heft. Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo, written by Rajiv Joseph and a 2010 Pulitzer Prize finalist (you’ll remember that Next to Normal took home the top honor!), will begin previews on Broadway (its exact home is still to be determined) on March 10 in anticipation of a March 31 opening, and will be directed by Moises Kaufman (The Laramie Project).
  
  
• Making Ignorance Chic
  Maureen Dowd’s column this Wednesday probed the unfortunate and growing trend of beauties (or beasts, depending upon how you view them) flaunting their ignorance, casting off intellect as suspect. I agree with Maureen that this practice is abhorrent. (And while we’re on the subject, what I love about Elle Woods in Legally Blonde (the movie, not that horrible stage production) is that she didn’t have to choose between being pretty, fun and feminine or studious, ambitious and successful. Elle’s a modern woman who can be both without compromising either. Snaps for Elle!)
  
  
• In This White House
  POTUS and FLOTUS have opened wide the gates and doors to the White House and welcomed in a slew of musicians, dancers and other artists as part of the In Performance at the White House series. This summer, several Broadway talents, including Idina Menzel, Brian d’Arcy James, Chad Kimball and Audra McDonald, headed down to DC to perform for the First Family and invited guests. That performance aired this week on PBS. Below is a sneak peek behind the scenes and here is video of Ms. Menzel, accompanied by none other than Marvin Hamlisch, singing “What I Did for Love.”
  
  
  
• Faith in Esparza
  Dear readers, you know how much I admire Raul Esparza. It should come as no surprise to you, then, that I was fully rapt by this week’s LA Times profile of the stage star. Currently closing the west coast premiere of Leap of Faith (download a sample audio track), a stage musical adaptation of the eponymous film, Esparza expresses hope that the musical will make its way to Broadway – soon. I hope so, too, as I would just jump at another chance to catch this incredibly talented performer on stage. Come back to New York, Raul!
  
  
• It Gets Better
  Dear readers, by now you are probably aware of the unfortunate glut of teen suicides carried out by gay kids who were incessantly bullied by narrow minded peers. You may also be aware of The Trevor Project and the lovely outpouring of celebrity and laymen videos making the rounds on the internet emphatically stating that it gets better, urging young people to hang on, to not give up hope. Tons of theatre folks, musicians, TV and movie stars and journalists have made videos. This week, President Obama released an It Gets Better video. I applaud him for publicly speaking out about this but I’m a little discouraged that his words don’t quite jive with his actions. In his video, he says that young people need to know that the rest of their lives are “full of possibilities” and that adults need to “set an example” of appropriate behavior. POTUS, please set an example, yourself, by not appealing the recent court decision deeming Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell unconstitutional (thereby all but repealing the discriminatory law) and by repealing the ridiculously name Defense of Marriage Act, thereby, essentially, granting marriage equality on a federal level. In the immortal words of The Doors, “The time to hesitate is through.” Equality now!
  



• Play Ball (and Sing)!
  As the Yankees tried to get one step closer to a pennant on Tuesday, (they lost, but won their elimination game on Wednesday, keeping them alive ‘til at least tonight) stage and screen vet (and all-around good guy and total hunk) Patrick Wilson was on hand to sing “God Bless America” during the seventh inning stretch in the Bronx. All I can say is, Patrick, please come back to Broadway! He was incredibly impressive a few seasons ago in All My Sons and after hearing him sing like this, I say he’d make a terrific Billy in Anything Goes, alongside Sutton Foster (Reno) and Joel Grey (Moonface), and opposite my hopeful choice for Hope, Kate Baldwin. Are you listening, Roundabout?!?
  
  
• West Wingers Reunite!
  For the current Reunion Issue of EW magazine, many of The West Wing’s original cast came together for a photo shoot and to reminisce about the amazing experience of working on the terrific (Aaron Sorkin-penned, for four seasons) show. Present were Allison Janney (C.J. Cregg – my hero!), Bradley Whitford (Josh Lyman), Elisabeth Moss (Zooey Bartlet), Martin Sheen (POTUS), Stockard Channing (FLOTUS), Dule Hill (Charlie Young), Janel Maloney (Donnatella Moss) and Kathryn Joosten (Mrs. Landigham). EW reports that Richard Schiff (Toby Ziegler) and Rob Lowe (Sam Seaborn) were unavailable. Check out the issue now on newsstands and click here for behind-the-photo-shoot video.

Wings

Someone clip these Wings. Originally on Broadway in 1979, when it was nominated for a Tony and a finalist for the Pulitzer Prize, Wings is being revived in New York at the off-Broadway Second Stage Theatre. While it was apparently well received in its initial Broadway outing, I found it to be tedious, too long at only an hour and totally worthless to me as an audience member.

The structure of Wings allows the audience to figure out and experience what is happening to Emily Stilson (Jan Maxwell), our protagonist, along with her. This is an interesting directing choice, and while I didn’t find the material at all engaging or compelling this was an effective way to tell the story.

The story itself though - the play - was nearly unbearable. I was so fidgety throughout the whole thing that one hour felt like an eternity. The beginning, during which Emily is having a stroke, is basically a cacophony of caterwauls - not exactly a pleasant way to being a play or hook your audience. As the stroke begins to subside and Emily is trying to figure out what’s happening, she too loudly begins spouting out blank verse gibberish. Since I had no idea what was going on - it was only about half-way through the play that Emily figures it out so that’s when we figure it out - I couldn’t appreciate the storytelling method and simply felt like there was an assault on my senses taking place. Once Emily understands what’s happened, the tone of the play shifts. The second half is Emily in speech therapy, trying to re-learn how to go from knowing a word in your head to being able to say it out loud.

I stayed for a post performance discussion with the playwright, Arthur Kopit, and director, John Doyle. (The talkback was more engaging than the play.) It was during this talkback that Mr. Doyle (an accomplished director who staged, among many other works, a terrific revival of Company, starring Raul Esparza) said he found the material to be a great challenge and that’s what interested him. It was also during this talkback that Mr. Kopit spoke of his inspiration for the play - his father had had a stroke and was in speech therapy. Both of these reasons are great ones to create something but they did nothing for me as an audience member.

You may know by now that I think theatre (or movies or TV, etc.,) can sometimes be purely entertaining; sometimes they can have a message; sometimes they can be a combination. Wings wasn’t either of those things. There was no entertainment. There was no message. Therefore, there was no value. I fully support Mr. Kopit writing as a means of dealing with what’s happening in his life - as a means of expressing himself - but I don’t need to sit in a theatre and watch it.

Perhaps the most interesting thing to come out of the talkback, though, was when Mr. Kopit was talking about this production and the way it was staged. There really wasn’t a set, in the traditional sense. Just some chairs, movable dividers and constantly shifting verticals lining the stage. When an audience member commented that, despite the sparse set, she was able to fully picture Emily’s world, Mr. Kopit remarked that his and Mr. Doyle’s approach could be summed up thusly: The abstraction makes it more real. I couldn’t stop ruminating on this thought and I agree.

With the abstract, you’re not told what to think but rather what to think about. You’re not told, “this is a chair, this is a table and this is the wallpaper.” Instead, you’re told, “there is a chair, there is a table and there is wallpaper.” Your imagination - and projections - fill in the rest, making it more real for you. That’s what I like about abstract art. And I think this approach can be extremely effective. Unfortunately, given this thoroughly un-engaging story, my imagination just never took flight and Wings remained grounded.

Media Morsels 10.15.10

• Bloody Bloody Bits
  Jax Rox on Broadway! This week, Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson celebrated its official opening on Broadway. Here, some Bloody Bloody treats to celebrate Big Block of Cheese Day finally arriving:
• Rave review from the Times
  
  
• Photo Coverage: opening night arrivals; curtain call; after party
  
  
• Inside Old Hickory’s Curio Cabinet – A NYTimes.com discussion with scenic designer Donyale Werle about her inspirations for the design and anecdotes about where various set pieces originated. Plus, A Horse Overhead is a photo essay accompanying the design discussion.
  
  
• Show Clips from Broadway.com
  
  
• Bloody Bloody Drinks - The Hell’s Kitchen restaurant Vynl is offering Bloody Bloody drinks! Simply bring in your ticket stub to receive a free (with $9.95 meal purchase) Bloody Bloody inspired drink, like a Bloody Bloody-tini or a Bloody Bloody Rock Star. Cheers!
  
  
  
• The Shows Will Go On
  Playbill.com often runs an “Ask Playbill.com” feature in which readers can submit theatre related questions. In turn, Playbill.com contacts experts in the field to answer the question. I found this week’s question interesting: How do Broadway revival producers go about obtaining the rights to a show? Ted Chapin, a representative of the Rodgers and Hammerstein Organization (which holds the licenses for and represents about 1/3 of the musicals in the canon) says it basically comes down to who wants the rights and who has the rights. For example, if a well-respected man (or woman – just couldn’t resist the Kinks reference), say a Michael Mayer, wants to revive On a Clear Day You Can See Forever (which he will this season at the Vineyard Theatre), he can contact the show’s representatives and ask permission. Since he is a director who boasts a stellar track record (Millie, Spring Awakening, American Idiot), the representatives are likely to oblige. If, on the other hand, some unproven talent, or someone who has proven to be not very talented, wants to revive On a Clear Day, the show’s reps are more likely to withhold permission. Read the Playbill article for a full explanation.
  
  
  
• Joe Iconis at Joe’s Pub
  Good news theatre and music fans: Joe Iconis’s ReWrite will play Joe’s Pub on November 6 at 9:30. (Though it was announced on Tuesday, I got my tickets last week! Thanks, Joe’s Pub weekly email!) This is yet another opportunity to catch what I’m sure will be a great, rousing production of a musical from the very talented Iconis. Tickets and reservations are sure to go fast so call today! Visit Joespub.com for more information.
  
  
  
• Reviewing Re-viewing
  Over at the AV Club, staff writers took on the question of what movies or TV shows are better the second (or third or fourth) time around. As you probably know, dear reader, I’m definitely a repeat viewers some things, American Idiot, for example. With American Idiot, it’s partly because with a show, as opposed to a movie or TV show, you can only watch it (experience it, really) while it’s on the boards. Once the show closes, you can’t just pop it into your DVD player whenever you want. But it’s also partly because there’s so much going on that it’s difficult to catch everything the first time. For the same reason, I love re-watching Aaron Sorkin work, especially Sports Night and The West Wing. Every time I watch “How Are Things in Gloca Morra” (Sports Night, season one, during which the folks at CSC are waiting for the tennis match that wouldn’t end to end), I discover some delicious nuance in Sorkin’s language or some terrific attention to detail I’ve never noticed before. Same with “17 People” (The West Wing, season two – it’s a master class in story telling). What do you like re-watching? What’s better after a second viewing? What’s worse? Leave your answers in the comments section below.
  
  
  
• Award Season
  You know how much I love award season. This week on The Wrap, contributor Steve Pond discusses early Oscar contenders, or rather early buzz and angles for possible contenders. Among the buzz that Pond ventures to debunk: The Social Network nabbing a Best Original Screenplay nod instead of one for Best Adapted Screenplay. Pond notes that while Sorkin, Fincher and producers are trying to distance themselves from The Accidental Billionaire, the Facebook book has widely been reported as the inspiration for Sorkin’s script, and, more damning, in the opening credits of the movie, it states that the script was based upon the Billionaire book. Depending upon the competition, one category could spell an easier win than the other. In my humble opinion, of course, this doesn’t matter: Sorkin should be nominated and win – heck, in both categories!
  
  
  
• Hockadoo!
  Memphis’s favorite couple, Montego Glover and Chad Kimball, has re-upped their contracts for another year. The Tony nominated stars, who’ve been with the show through several incarnations over the last five or so years, will now play in the show through September 2011. This is a long time for actors – particularly lead actors – to stay with a show (or to stay with a show in the same role and in the same city). I’ve observed that more often, actors are with the show for a year (if the show is successful enough to run that long) and if they extend it’s for another six months-ish. (To wit: Johnny left Spring Awakening (on Broadway) after one year; Jonathan Groff and Lea Michele left six months later.) This isn’t a complaint, mind you. Glover and Kimball are fantastic in their roles. And now they’ll be fantastic through September 2011!
  
  
  
• Romeo + Juliet on the Small Screen?
  It was announced this week that ABC is developing a Romeo + Juliet series. I’m not on board with this. Well, I’m skeptical, really. I love Shakespeare. I like Romeo + Juliet. (I particularly liked watching Leo as Romeo back in the 90s.) But a TV series? In fair Verona, where they’ll lay their scene? I just don’t know how you make a TV series with any life expectancy out of something with a well known ending. Yes, we watch movies of Romeo + Juliet or even movies “based on a true story” (like The Social Network), knowing quite well how it’ll end. But I think with The Social Network and other films of its ilk, the exciting part is/was that while we know where it started and where it ended, we’re fully fuzzy on the details. What will be revealed in the details in this series? Will we meet Rosaline? Will Mercutio impart any more plagues on the houses? And, most importantly, will Sampson be allowed to bite his thumb at his enemies on prime-time television?

Happy Opening, Bloody Bloody Populists!

The Scottsboro Boys

The Scottsboro Boys enjoyed a sold-out, somewhat critically acclaimed run at off-Broadway’s Vineyard Theatre this spring. It’s now made the move uptown to Broadway where it’s playing at the landmark Lyceum theatre. (Girlfriend needs a facelift.) Off-Broadway audiences are different from Broadway audiences and I’m not sure that’s a good thing for the commercial success of the Boys.

This new musical from theatre luminaries Kander and Ebb (of Chicago and Cabaret fame) is directed and choreographed by Susan Stroman (who had much success with The Producers and Contact). While there are many elements that are praiseworthy, I’m skeptical that it’ll be a hit.

You see, The Scottsboro Boys tells the true story of the Scottsboro boys by way of a minstrel show. After a brief prologue during which The Lady sits and waits for a bus, the show begins with much fanfare: Eleven young black men (including one young boy) enter the stage, setting up chairs in a semi-circle. The Lady remains on the sideline, mostly for the whole show, watching the happenings. Then the Interlocutor, played by John Cullum, enters and introduces the minstrel players. At the head of the “troupe” are Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, both of whom, along with most of the Boys, go on to play several other characters while telling the story. They also come out every now and then with old, vaudeville jokes, leaving you waiting for a rim-shot. Then they and the rest of the minstrel players tell the Scottsboro boys’ story. Nine black boys were riding a train. It stopped in Scottsboro, Alabama, and two white ladies, fearing they’d be arrested for prostitution, lied and claimed that the black boys raped them, sending all nine Scottsboro boys to jail. Throughout the show, we see them in jail, see them through their several trials and see the aftermath (including an epilogue with the same woman waiting for a bus).

It’s really a very compelling story but it’s a bit of a disturbing production. The subject matter is disgusting – in the sense that knowing there was a time in the not too distant past (the story begins in 1931) during which black boys were persecuted and denied rights simply because they were black is disgusting. (I’m not naïve enough to think that race baiting and racial profiling and gross prejudice no longer exist, but certainly, technically and under the law, people of all races are fully enfranchised.) And the use of the minstrel show is disturbing because it’s yet another reminder of the horrible treatment of non-Caucasians in this country – even in theatre, an arena some would say is rife with moral turpitude.

All of that leads me to wonder whether or not this will play in Peoria, as they say. This next statement may sound elitist or snobbish but I believe it to be true: Off-Broadway audiences (off-Broadway being where The Scottsboro Boys was so well received) and critics are more sophisticated and often more theatre-literate than your general Broadway going audience. I wonder if your average theatre-goer will understand what a minstrel show is, understand its place in history (both American and theatrical) and understand how it’s being effectively used here – as a comment on our shameful past – or if, instead, they’ll be turned off, viewing the minstrel show as racist and finding the Boys’ struggle too much to stomach in a Broadway musical. (To wit: I recently was talking with my brother, who likes to think he’s the smartest guy in the room and knows everything, and mentioned minstrel shows. He had no idea what I was talking about and couldn’t recall ever hearing that term or the name Sambo before.)

I suppose The Scottsboro Boys’ commercial success and longevity isn’t any of my concern. But I think given my concerns, the marketing and Playbill cover art are misleading. The cover is a collage of pictures: One shows a young boy with a questioning look on his face and another shows hands gripping a tambourine. Both fine. Then there are two pictures of star Joshua Henry (who’s terrific, and was terrific as American Idiot’s Favorite Son in Berkeley and on Broadway!) rejoicing, with a huge smile on his face, and one picture of ensemble member Christian Dante White mid-dance. These three pictures would make me think, if I didn’t know anything about the show, that the show was upbeat and happy. While there are some rousing dance numbers and hopeful moments, the show is ultimately incredibly somber and its most upbeat and happy points are only upbeat and happy if you discount the social commentary being made. This all leaves me questioning The Scottsboro Boys’ long-term viability on Broadway.

Those concerns aside, the show boasts great talent. Kander and Ebb are theatre legends and their signature syncopation can be heard here. There are several catchy tunes (though, given the subject matter – rape and racial prejudice – they aren’t tunes I’d be likely to hum in the shower) as well as powerful empowerment songs. Susan Stroman’s kick-ogrpahy is in full effect in this show. If you’ve ever seen a Stroman choreographed show you’re familiar with these kicks. They’re not Rockette style kicks but sort of jumping-turning kicks that are maybe a little reminiscent of stylized square dancing moves. It is impressive and can be thrilling to see done well, as it is here, but I’d rather be able to tell that I’m watching Stroman’s choreography because it’s good and not because I’m watching the same moves as were in her previous productions.
The cast is incredible. The nine Boys and the two troupe leaders do a great job at moving around, playing dress up and singing (and tap dancing) their hearts out. Of particular note is Joshua Henry. Here he plays Haywood Patterson, who unwittingly becomes the Boys’ leader. Henry is a triple threat on the rise – he can sing, to say the least, he’s a good dancer (adding personal flair here and there) and he is undeniably moving as The Scottsboro Boys’ emotional core. When he says, “God is not my salvation. Truth is my salvation.” you have no choice but to believe him. Look for him to be singled out during award season.

The Scottsboro Boys is a moving new musical with an extremely talented cast. I just think it’s better suited for a downtown, niche audience and not the fickle mass Broadway audience. I hope audiences prove me wrong.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit scottsboromusical.com, and check out these pictures of the Boys in rehearsal.