Stage Review: Mrs. Warren's Profession

George Bernard Shaw's Victoria-era play Mrs. Warren's Profession, the tamest play about sex ever written, returns to Broadway through the Roundabout Theatre Company. Featuring Broadway star Cherry Jones in the title role, re-teaming with director Doug Hughes after her Tony-winning turn in Doubt , this production falls disappointing short on a number of levels.

Sally Hawkins, making her Broadway debut, also headlines the cast in this production as Vivie Warren; I had the unfortunate opportunity of seeing her understudy, Stephanie Janseen, perform. The play revolves around young Vivie Warren, dealing with her life as a woman coming up in the world, and attempting to understand the root of her mother's profession and wealth. Revealed early in the first act, Mrs. Warren is prostitute, a "secret" that is blatantly obvious due to some of this play's directional choices. Hughes does a disservice to Shaw's brilliant play by pushing all of the plot's subtleties to the forefront, hiding nothing in the strained relationships between each of the characters.

The show is worthwhile for Jones alone, a spectacular actress. However, she gives Mrs. Warren a low-brow Cockney accent. The choice isn't an awful one, but it seems odd; it seems to cheapen Mrs. Warren as a character. Janseen plays Vivie utterly wrong; she's a travesty. In her performance, Janseen spectacularly misses who Vivie truly is. The rest of the supporting cast is fairly strong, highlighted by Adam Driver's hilarious Frank Gardner and Mark Harelik's appropriate smarmy George Crofts.

Mrs. Warren's Profession disappoints because the entire production feels sloppy; it's as if Jones approached Hughes, and Hughes quickly slapped together a rickety staging. It can be a wonderful experience to see a classic Victoria staging, but Hughes botches such a pleasure by making his staging... boring: the set looks ridiculously cheap and underdeveloped, while the costumes are either unpronounced or incredibly garish... until the play's final scene. A thrilling conversation between two hysterical women, the play's closing finally hits its mark as captivating theatre. However, it was all far too little, too late. Mrs. Warren's Profession falls flat, failing to support the weight and majesty of Shaw's play. C

Stage Review: In The Heights

At the 2008 Tonys, In The Heights won 4 award, capping off the night with Best Musical. The show, about a vibrant Hispanic community in New York's Washington Heights, is still going strong, and recently added American Idol winner Jordin Sparks to the cast as Nina, the one girl who escaped the Heights for college... before dropping out and returning to the 'hood.

The musical was the brain child of Lin-Manuel Miranda, who also originated the role of Usnavi (currently Kyle Beltran). Miranda's passion is evident in every moment, from the vibrant characters to the sense of family imbued in the neighborhood. However, some of the characters fall into easy cliches, and there's a thick layer of predictable cheese lathered on top of the whole thing. When compared to something like Fela!, my favorite show from last year and another "cultural piece" on Broadway (unfortunately closing in January, and currently featuring Patti LaBelle), In The Heights's specific flavor feels a little manufactured, watered down for a standard Broadway audience.

Regardless, every moment in In The Heights is soaked with emotion and heart, something that can be said of very few shows currently running on Broadway. The score is explosive, catchy, and utterly original as the first real hip-hop musical. The choreography, an interesting mesh of urban street and studio contemporary, demonstrates how the show throws together classic musical theatre with its own distinct vision.

Sparks has a lovely, if strained, voice, and her upper register is especially appealing. However, her acting is questionable. She certainly has pipes, but her emotional connection to Nina is awkward and inauthentic; Sparks cycled through a handful of expressions, and often seemed far too young alongside the rest of the cast. Beltran, also making his Broadway debut after originating Usnavi role on tour, is ridiculous talented - he's utterly charming, funny, and hits each emotion perfectly. His vocal parts are also the show's most difficult, hitting a rapping-singing blend; Beltran's execution is pro. Both Sparks and Beltran are at their best during a particularly emotional scene during Act II.

The supporting cast is all over the map - Andréa Burns is utterly hilarious as Daniela, as is Shaun Taylor-Corbett's Sonny and Courtney Reed's Carla; Marcy Harriell makes an unappealing Vanessa, while Clifton Oliver seemed vocally weak as Benny; and finally, Olga Merediz is one of the show's brightest lights, still starring in her Tony-nominated role as Abuela Claudia.

In The Heights could have used an edit or two before hitting Broadway (the first act is too long, and a few songs feel especially weak), but the show works beautifully as a whole. The cast puts their everything out on stage, and the effort shows - the theatre pulsates with nonstop energy. There might not be much going on intellectually during In The Heights, but its crowd-pleasing nature and raw emotion hits. It took me long enough to finally see this show; my only regret is having been introduced to el barrio sooner. B+

Stage Review: Our Town

On its 602 performance at the Off-Broadway Barrow Street Theatre, I finally was in the audience of David Cromer's ingenious production of Our Town, Thornton Wilder's Pulitzer Prize-winning play from 1938. There are only a few times I've been speechless after a show (August: Osage County, Next to Normal, the final moments of the Hair revival, and Next Fall come to mind); Our Town was the first time I have left a performance speechless and gasped aloud. Cromer has not only revitalized a classic piece of American theatre, but also put together one of the best shows currently running in New York, Theatre District or not.

Our Town tells the story of average people living in an average small farming town at the turn of the twentieth century; told over three acts, the play begins in 1901, and ends in 1913. The play is constructed as a beautiful and touching allegory about anyone's journey through life. Before you see this production, you must read the play (thank you, Ross Ramone, for pushing me to do this beforehand); I'm ashamed to say I read Our Town for the first time this summer. Not only is it a remarkable work that has held up incredibly well since its first publication in 1938, but the impact of Cromer's interpretation is even more incredible if you're familiar with the material. Cromer is a master with the play's language - he mines every laugh, tear, emotion, overlapping dialogue, and perfectly-timed silence to great effect.

Our Town's most noteworthy aspect is its meta-theatrical devices. The play has almost no scenery; the scene is set by the Stage Manager (currently Michael McKean), a "character" who breaks the fourth wall and guides the audience through Grover's Corners. Cromer further destroys the divide between audience and stage - there are even fewer props than the original play calls for, the house lights never go down, and the separation of performance space from the audience is almost entirely eliminated. The actors walk amongst the audience - I was seated directly at the Gibbs's imaginary backdoor; throughout Out Town, the audience is constantly reminded that they are watching a performance. The frame of the production is placed in modern day, with modern actors doing little to transport their physical presence to the play's time period. The actors wear modern clothes, with subtle nods to more formal costumes and their characters. When the Stage Manager walks in, it could be any audience member entering. These actors bring a believable allure to the show's everyday actions.

Cromer's most remarkable decision comes late, when he deviates drastically from Wilder's stage directions, which heightens the play's themes and final message. I wouldn't dare spoil Cromer's "twist," but this moment is what made me gasp... It was one of the most stunning moments I have ever seen on stage. The final act of Our Town is a heartbreakingly emotional coda about how one lives their life every day; it's the perfect finale to a near-perfect play. Many productions of Our Town are weakened by folky schmatz; Cromer strips away all needless sentimentality, revealing the raw and lasting emotion at the play's core. This Our Town demands to be seen. A+

Stage Review: Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

Oh, the man on the twenty-dollar bill has never looked like this before. Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is playing Off-Broadway at the Public Theater until June 27th, and hopes to make the transfer to Broadway next season after rave reviews and a closing date that has been extended three times. It would make sense for the show to hit the Great White Way, seeing that it is currently the second highest grossing show the Public has ever seen (behind the Tony-nominated tuner Caroline, or Change). Bloody Bloody tells the story of our 7th President in a irreverent, modern, "fuck you" manner. Andrew Jackson has been stripped of his historical luster; here, Jackson here is a wild teenager, out to have fun while unable to deal with the big questions and problems thrown his way. The plot zips through Jackson's life with a loose narrative structure, focusing on both Jackson's rise to political power, and personal problems with his wife Rachel; it zeroes in on his dealings with the Native Americans, views on populism, and downfall as the President of the United States.

What sets Bloody Bloody apart from other rock musicals, besides its left-field subject matter, is that the show knows when not to take itself too seriously. Sure, it's filled with expletives, thrashing choreography, irreverence, skinny jeans, and lots of guyliner. However, the show is also bitingly hilarious. HILARIOUS. At the start of the show, I had problems grasping the tone; I had expected something much more self-serious, maybe due what I understood a rock musicals should be. Once I was accustomed to the show's flow, the musical was a wild ride. Not only is the show funny, but incredibly smart. The jokes are pilled on one after another; while Jackson does revel in some fratty teen jokes, the inside jokes about political history (example - there's a lyrical reference to Tocqueville) hit their mark with sly wit.

One of the problems I had with current Broadway rock opera American Idiot is that the show takes itself way too seriously - it's message is nothing new (done much better, and with more complexities, in Rent) or invigorating for the Broadway stage (hey there, Spring Awakening). The show comes off as trying too hard to be "edgy" and "punk." American Idiot does not know when to wink at the audience. I enjoyed American Idiot a lot, but the show is not the groundbreaking piece of art that it think it is. Bloody Bloody is smart and ironic, but doesn't bog itself down by trying to push its importance on the audience; the show even lampoons the emo cliche of having a character sit alone on stage under a spotlight, expressing their deepest feelings. It's a breath of fresh air in its genre. However, not everything works - there are certainly moments and jokes that do try too hard, or simply don't come off as funny. If the show does make its transfer to Broadway, there should still be tweaking done to even out book in certain spots; a few scenes that should have been a riot generated only a mild chuckle from the audience.

Bloody Bloody sets off the politically incorrect humor with well-placed sentimental moments, and moments where the show is much more than a fun historical romp. The show is fused with moments of political satire and allegory; it not only takes on the riff between Jackson as the people's president and the leader of a genocide against the Native Americans, put also acts as a critique on the role of democracy, modern political verbiage, civil rights, and problems with our political system. However, it doesn't make these parallels overly obvious, and that discovery is half the fun. I thought the show's final note was stunning, both in speech and imagery (which I feel were painfully offset by the raucous curtain call number).

Jackson may be the main character in Bloody Bloody, but he is not given a free card for the atrocities he committed. The show wonderful balances between hilarity and seriousness, the light and the dark, the mythology of Jackson as one of our best presidents or one of our worst; it's a hard line to walk, but Timbers and Friedman let their jokes breathe while mining deeper themes as well. The unique experience of this show is why it is so alluring. This is rollicking fun and thought provoking theatre. How nice. Watch out for announcement that this is officially coming to Broadway, and get ready for this crazy boy from Tennessee to rip things up. A-

Reactions: 2010 Tony Awards

The Tony Awards! Broadway! Glitz! Glamour! Green Day?

One of this season's biggest flaws was more than evident during last night's telecast - Broadway's obsession with an attempt to draw in a new audience, instead of catering to the theatre patrons who keeps the lights on in theatres. Many shows have been casting Hollywood stars to get butts in seats; if that's what it takes to fill a theatre these days, whatever. However, it should not be a trend that continues to grow over the next few years. Hollywood stars should be cast when they're perfect for the role, not so much because it works for the show on a financial aspect. I'm not dissecting every moment from the biggest night for New York entertainment, but here are some highlights from the evening (for all of the night's winners, check out my previous post):

Memphis wins Best Musical Oh, Memphis. I had so much fun at your show! You had a gospel number AND double dutch choreography within five minutes of each other! You had that perfectly cheesy sing-a-long curtain call moment! I will admit, I throughly enjoyed myself at Memphis. However, I want Broadway to move me more than this show did. Memphis belongs to the same family as Hairspray, and I don't have a huge desire to return to the show any time soon. I am hankering for a return to Fela!, which will hopefully be able to sustain its run with a box office boost from the few Tonys it did win. Regardless, Memphis is feel-good, fluffy, commercial theatre that tourists will flock too; Broadway was lacking a huge hit this season, and Memphis has the potential for a very long run. Monetgo Glover is by far the best thing about the show (thought she sounded rough during the Memphis number...), but I have a strange, strong hatred for Chad Kimball. At the end of the day, the show has been worked on for nearly nine years now, and the cast was beyond ecstatic for their win after years of hard work. I just wish voters had taken a chance with Fela! instead...

Green Day? That opening medley? Green Day did not belong in the opening number of the Tonys. The fact that the opening medley of songs were basically "Tunes You Didn't know were on Broadway!" was annoying. Randos won't be watching the Tonys no matter what; people who care about the industry are.

Katie Finneran had the speech of the night The featured actress from Promises, Promises steals that gorilla of a revival with only 15 minutes on stage, and her speech was probably the best of the night. Don't believe me? Check it out. Runner-up status to Eddie Redmayne, and Red is now at the top of my to-see list after there incredible five Tony wins.

Get it ScarJo! LOVE YOU CZJ! Huh, Denzel? While Hollywood vets were on hand to win a handful of awards, it's funny how the Broadway actors delivered the most stunning speeches! However, Scarlett Johansson, making her Broadway debut, was humble, beautiful, and so gracious accepting her speech. Obviously surprised and overcome with emotion, she gave an honest speech and perfect tribute to the community. I feel madly in love with Catherine Zeta-Jones all over again; her scramble to stage was one of the greatest moments of the telecast, as well as her loving acceptance and hilarious quips. People seem to be knocking her performance during the telecast - sure, those head swings were a little ridiculous (she was giving her voice momentum to finish the note...?), but she was obviously vocally tired. I do go HEAD-OVER-HEELS for the little nose wipe she does with the back of her wrist at the end of the number. She deserved that Tony, and I was so happy to see her on that stage, livin' in the moment... These two ladies exemplify Hollywood stars starring on Broadway the right way. Denzel exemplified why the trend is detrimental to theatre. He gave me the feeling that he won simply because he's Denzel Washington; I certainly do not think he gave the best performance of the year, playing his role in a way that didn't wholly agree with me. Was he good? Sure. Was he Tony worthy? Not at all. His acceptance speech seemed lazy, uninterested, and... douchey. It's the American Theatre Wing, Denzel. Figure it out.

I cried with Viola Davis. That's all.

Sean Hayes was a great host, I'm shocked While I was initially incredibly skeptical when his name was announced for hosting duties (and over his nomination for Promises, Promises), Sean delivered the hosting goods with some wonderful jokes, good ol' charm, and seemed to keep the crowd at Radio City wildly entertained. I still don't think he was the best choice for the show, but he did surprise me. If only Kristin Chenoweth had shared hosting duties with him all night...

Who the hell is Levi Kreis? But, like... really?!!

Biggest Voting Womp Memphis did not deserve Best Book. That Tony should have gone to Everyday Rapture or Fela! . Yes, this award actually made me angrier than the Best Musical announcement. I completely understand Memphis winning Best Musical; I get the reasoning. Not so much here.

Biggest Voting Hooray This moment almost goes to Catherine Zeta-Jones, but she had plenty momentum into Tony night - I'm sending this HOORAY to Bill T. Jones winning for Fela!'s choreography! Completely and utterly deserved. I was under the assumption that Twyla Tharp had it locked up for Come Fly Away (NOT. A. MUSICAL.), but was so incredibly happy that the mastermind behind Fela! got his moment in front of that crowd. Bravo.

Lea Michele and Matt Morrison = Best Performance There seemed to be a lot of hate brewing about the Glee performances included in the telecast, but Glee's two biggest stars showed why they were invited on stage. While most of the numbers from nominated shows flopped (and were plagued by serious audio issues, yoikes), Matt and Lea brought it up a notch. Now, a bone to pick - everyone needs to stop telling Lea Michele to "relax." Maybe the bitchy theatre community could relax a little? So what if she was actively campaigning for the Funny Girl revival? The girl is finally having her moment, and she is rightfully soaking it up. She sounded wonderful, and would be a wonderful choice for that role. Have I ranted enough? Watch the performance (wait for the awkward wave to Jay-Z) and decide for yourself!

Best Presenters Raquel Welch for bringing the serious crazy, Bebe Newirth and Nathan Lane for being able to make fun of themselves in hilarious fashion

In all, the show was wonky, wacky, and a hot mess. It perfectly reflected the wonky, wacky, hot mess season Broadway had in 2009-2010. So here's to next season! Clean slate! Be sure to catch up on the big winners over the summer (Memphis, La Cage aux Folles, Red) and my favorites from that season that are still running (Fela!, Next Fall), and prepare for some magic (fingers crossed!) to stomp the boards in the fall.

A final note to the Broadway community slash Tony planners slash American Theatre Wing - VIEWERSHIP WAS DOWN 8% FROM LAST YEAR. The whole "Look! HOLLYWOOD!" thing didn't really seem to work. Sorry, but please get back to the basics. It's what we come for. It's what we love. It's a night for Broadway.

2010 Tony Winners

Regardless of how I feel, here are the winners from tonight's Tony telecast (in the order they were awarded):

Orchestration: Daryl Waters & David Bryan, Memphis
Original Score: David Bryan, Joe DiPietro, & David Bryan, Memphis
Book (Musical): Joe DiPietro, Memphis
Costume Design (Play): Catherine Zuber, The Royal Family
Costume Design (Musical): Marina Draghici, Fela!
Lighting Design (Play): Neil Austin, Red
Lighting Design (Musical): Kevin Adams, American Idiot
Scenic Design (Play): Christopher Oram, Red
Scenic Design (Musical): Christine Jones, American Idiot
Sound Design (Play): Adam Cork, Red
Sound Design (Musical): Robert Kaplowitz, Fela!

Featured Actress (Play): Scarlett Johansson, A View from the Bridge
Featured Actor (Play): Eddie Redmayne, Red
Direction (Play): Michael Grandage, Red
Direction (Musical): Terry Johnson, La Cage aux Folles
Featured Actress (Musical): Katie Finneran, Promises, Promises
Featured Actor (Musical): Levi Kreis, Million Dollar Quartet
Lead Actress (Play): Viola Davis, Fences
Lead Actor (Play): Denzel Washington, Fences
Choreography: Bill T. Jones, Fela!
Revival (Play): Fences
Play: John Logan, Red
Revival (Musical): La Cage aux Folles
Lead Actress (Musical): Catherine Zeta-Jones, A Little Night Music
Lead Actor (Musical): Douglas Hodge, La Cage aux Folles
Musical: Memphis

And there you have it! This (rather womp-tastic) season for the Great White Way is over - catch up on the big shows you haven't seen, and get ready for some magic to stomp the boards in 2010-2011. I'll be posting my thoughts on the show tomorrow afternoon, as well as a spoiler-light reaction to the True Blood premiere.

Tonys & True Blood

Welcome to my blog! This is weird. Is this weird? This whole thing slash idea is still a baby, so hold on while I sort the whole damn thing out. Should be interesting...

While I procrastinate on something resembling work for my summer classes (feminine poetry theory, here I come!), I just want to get something out here; the blog looked weird without a post. My passions include any aspect of the entertainment industry (what this blog will hopefully focus on), and tonight is a night of epic proportions - the Tonys Awards (CBS at 8:00pm), followed by the season premiere of True Blood (HBO at 9:00pm, repeat at 11:00pm).

If you're not into the whole Broadway scene, this could be a year to check the awards show out and see what all the hoopla is - this season on Broadway was filled with Hollywood stars, most of whom will be in attendance tonight, if not presenting (and hey, maybe they'll leave with a statue in hand as well). Plus, Lea Michele and Matthew Morrison are performing to draw in the hot young Glee crowd, the cast of American Idiot are sure to throw down a Green Day song like you've never seen before, and a medley of Broadway tunes that crossed over to mainstream hits is planned to start off the show. It's one of my favorite award shows (nothing touches the film industry or the Oscars, sorry), mainly because Radio City is such a beautiful venue; the amount of talent packed into that room, congratulating one another, is astounding.

However, this has been one of the weakest season on Broadway in recent memory; there should have been more shows that hit it off, that connected with a critics and a wide audience. I will definitely be rooting for Fela!, which brought something electric and original to a Broadway. Telling the story of Nigerian Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti, the show uses the construct that the audience is in attendance of one of his infamous Shrine concerts in the 1970s. Everyone in the show pours every ounce of their soul out on that stage, and Sahr Ngaujah as Fela unleashes something so primal that it is impossible not to be stunned by his presence. The show brings it like no other this season, and was one of the greatest experiences I have had in a theatre. The show should be a lock for many categories this evening... if it wasn't for Memphis, a feel-good fluffy period musical about race relations. We'll see what the voters are loving tonight - there are very few categories with clear favorites, so tonight could be a wonderful celebration, full of surprises.


The cast of Fela! twerkin' it out

Check back tomorrow for my thoughts on the telecast, who deserved their trophy, and who was robbed. Also, prepare for a juicy True Blood recap - it may not be the smartest show on television, but it is one of the few guilty pleasures that almost succeeds at just making it all pleasure.