A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Posted: August 7, 2014 Filed under: Becca Doodle - Happy, Broadway, Comedy, Musical | Tags: agentlemansguidetoloveandmurder, bestmusical, broadway, bryncepinkham, comedy, gentlemansguide, jeffersonmays, mysteryofedwindrood, review, slapstick, tonyawards, tonywinner Leave a comment
What a jolly good time! What’s that you say? An entirely new musical? Original writing, choreography, a wonderful cast and director, AND a success as this year’s Tony-winning Best Musical? What a breath of fresh air. A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder was the underdog of the season, despite the fantastic reviews this past fall. It simply fell in the shadow of blockbusters like Aladdin, but as the Act One Finale “The Last One You’d Expect” states, this was the musical to take home the awards this year (Best Musical, Book, Costume Design, and Direction) plus six additional Tony nominations.
Written by Robert L. Freedman (book and lyrics) and Steven Lutvak (music and lyrics – and a welcome newcomer to Broadway), Gentleman’s Guide is based on a 1907 novel by Roy Horniman. Bryce Pinkham plays the titular character, a gentleman named Monty Navarro. Monty tells his story from prison as he takes us back to how everything began – when he finds out that he is a distant relative of the royal family, the D’Ysquiths. In fact, only eight relations stand between him and the current Earl of Highhurst. Meanwhile, Jefferson Mays plays all of said relations, and after being scorned by the family, Monty begins to take them out, one by one, getting closer and closer to the Earl himself. Both men are hilarious and spot-on in their roles(sss). Monty also finds himself torn between two women, Sibella and Phoebe, played by Lisa O’Hare and Lauren Worsham respectively, who are making fantastic Broadway debuts.
To say the least, the show is a romp full of catchy, clever songs. It’s packed with mugging and “wink winks” at the audience, and it works because the jokes are solid, and the actors telling them know what they’re doing. Once your ear adjusts to the English accent, it’s pretty much non-stop laughter with comedy ranging from sly wit to full-out slapstick. To the best of my knowledge, farcical musicals are few and far between. The Mystery of Edwin Drood is the closest thing I can compare it to within the musical genre. Like Drood, this is clean and sharp. The number performed on the Tony Awards, although it seems like it’s in hyper speed taken out of context, certainly does the show justice in my book.
Another reason the show is so successful is you can tell that the cast is having a blast, too. I mean, how can you not with material like that? Murder has never been so much fun.
A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
Book and Lyrics by Robert L. Freedman, Music and Lyrics by Steven Lutvak, Directed by Darko Tresnjak
Walter Kerr Theatre, Open-Ended
Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich
Pictured: Jefferson Mays and the Cast of A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder
A Disclaimer on Reviews
Posted: July 29, 2014 Filed under: Miscellaneous | Tags: benbrantley, broadway, charlesisherwood, critics, opinion, review, reviews, subjective 4 Comments
I’ve been thinking a lot about reviews and critics recently. It remains fascinating to me how people can have such different opinions about things, and I’m not just referring to theatre. I’m talking about movies, TV, books, any form of art really. I mean, this isn’t news. Art is subjective. We know this. People are going to see it through their own eyes, approaching it with their own history of experiences, relating to it in their own way. If art weren’t subjective, it would be a whole lot less interesting, not to mention a lot less universal.
I find that in the theatre world, we tend to surround ourselves with those who have a similar aesthetic in the same way that our friendships naturally evolve. You know how you’re friends with people your friends are friends with? But even within that shared aesthetic, you’re still likely to have massive differences of opinions. My pal Matt loves the musical Ghost. I hate it with a fiery passion (sorry Matt, you know how I love to dig at that show). Jenn adores certain actors whom I would rather not see again. Brigitte loves the movie “Runaway Bride.” But despite these differences in opinion, I would still take their advice any day on what shows to see.
Honestly, it’s amazing to me that critics have a job, that the concept even exists. When opinions are so varied, how is it that one individual can make a living saying what he or she thinks? This isn’t a Yelp situation where a musical receives a certain star rating because 600 people went to see it and then commented about their favorite parts. So much of a production’s sales can depend on what the New York Times prints the night of its opening. Is the fate of a show in the hands of Ben Brantley and Charles Isherwood alone?
There are times I’m reading a Brantley review and it’s like he took the words right out of my mouth, but other times when I think, “Did we even see the same show?” I thought Aladdin was a major miss – it got great reviews. Matt and I did not care for last season’s Cinderella – same thing. ROCKY we loved. In fact, when it was in previews, I didn’t hear a negative thing about it in the general Broadway buzz. But then the reviews came out negative to mixed. I admit – I began to worry people would start to not trust my reviews, but it’s not really about trust, is it? It comes down to opinion and opinion alone. Not everyone will see eye to eye with me. The best I can do is share what I see and what I know, and from there it’s up to you.
Oldies but Goodies: Urinetown
Posted: July 22, 2014 Filed under: Oldies but Goodies | Tags: bobbystrong, dontbethebunny, followyourheart, hunterfoster, jenniferlaurathompson, nancyopel, officerlockstock, oldiesbutgoodies, review, runfreedromrun, urinetown Leave a comment
Urinetown the Musical has been on my mind of late. A couple of weekends ago, I revisited the cast recording on a long drive home from a wedding with my pal Neil. Then last week I watched a full bootleg of the original cast that’s available on YouTube. And now I can’t stop thinking about how damn good it was. Which brings me to a new segment I’ve entitled “Oldies but Goodies!”
Because why shouldn’t we revisit old shows that we adore? Musicals that I still wonder if they’ll ever be topped. Urinetown changed my young 17-year-old mind about what musicals could be. I had never seen anything like it. I’d grown up on stuff like Les Miz, Miss Saigon, Frank Wildhorn (Jekyll & Hyde, anyone?), and as we’ve discussed, RENT. And then came along this tongue-in-cheek, insanely smart, dry, witty, entirely original musical that changed the forefront and future of musical theatre (as far as I’m concerned anyway). To this day, I believe that Avenue Q never would have won Best Musical in 2004 over a mainstream crowd-pleaser like Wicked had Urinetown not paved the way a couple years earlier, losing to Thoroughly Modern Millie in 2002. And yet it won Best Director, Best Score, and Best Book…but not Best Musical? I mean, what? I’m not bitter.
Urinetown introduced self-awareness to the conventions of musical theatre, on top of the hilarious fact that the entire story was about a town where you had to pay to pee. It poked fun at the musical form in general without putting it down and tipped its hat to so many other musical genres from West Side Story to Les Misérables. Only later came shows like Avenue Q and Book of Mormon as now it’s very popular to reference other musical styles. This show also brought us stars like Hunter Foster, Nancy Opel, Jennifer Laura Thompson, and more. It was Hunter’s big debut in the spotlight, and the moment I saw the Tony performance, I fell in love with him immediately.
When I went to see Urinetown for the first time (in the front row no less), I think my jaw sat on the floor the entire time. I remember laughing so hard my face hurt, but I also recall being so stunned by the humor and wit that I was dumbfounded into silence. I went home that Thursday night and spent the next two days convincing my parents that we HAD to go. I would do ANYTHING. In fact, I believe I promised to read seven books that summer in exchange for tickets (I wasn’t a big reader in my younger days). So after talking their ears off for hours on end, I got my wish, and we went that Saturday afternoon. And I went again 10 days later. Aaaand proceeded to return four more times before it closed.
The story is narrated by Officer Lockstock (his partner is Officer Barrel clearly) and the precocious Little Sally. They commentate throughout the show, discussing the fact that it has a terrible title and premise. We learn about the conflicted dreamer Bobby Strong, the stalwart Penelope Pennywise who runs one of the public amenities, the misleading Caldwell B. Cladwell who owns UGC (Urine Good Company, clearly) and imposes the bathroom fees on the town, and his optimistic daughter Hope who inspires Bobby to take a stand. The music is chock-full with fantastic tunes, including “Look at the Sky,” “Snuff the Girl,” and “Run Freedom Run.” I must have replayed the phrase “just laughter and gladness” from “Follow Your Heart” thousands of times. The book has so many jokes it’s hard to catch ‘em all. Here are a couple of my favorites:
McQUEEN: Ms. Cladwell, what an unexpected surprise.
HOPE: Is there any other kind?
HOPE: They may not have taught me much at the Most Expensive University in the World, but they taught me this much: kidnapping people is wrong.
BOBBY: Really? They taught you that there?
All these years later, Urinetown remains one of my all-time favorite musicals, plus it’s on my list of top five productions that I’ve ever seen. And even though it was only a bootleg on YouTube, it was so nice to see it again.
Urinetown the Musical
Music and Lyrics by Mark Hollmann, Book and Lyrics by Greg Kotis, Directed by John Rando
Henry Miller’s Theatre, Closed January 18, 2004
Pictured: Jennifer Laura Thompson and Hunter Foster
Of Mice and Men
Posted: July 18, 2014 Filed under: Broadway, Drama, Play, Revival | Tags: alexmorf, broadway, chrisodowd, george, jamesfranco, johnsteinbeck, lennie, ofmiceandmen, review 2 Comments
Of Mice and Men is a visually beautiful production. From the opening moments of the sun shining through what appears to be an iron wall split by the horizon, the set is rustic and full of striking metals. Here’s the thing though: the play itself didn’t leave me feeling like I’d been punched in the gut. I talk about this expectation a lot actually, and I suppose it’s odd to say I’m disappointed when I don’t get to feel like that. But that’s what theatre is for sometimes – to feel like your stomach has been turned upside down or your mind has been messed with or your heartstrings tugged. It’s one thing to be emotionally manipulated à la Spielberg’s “ET” with camera close-ups and music swelling at just the right moment, but another thing to be emotionally torn apart by the story alone. It’s why John Steinbeck’s novel is so iconic – the tragedy of Lennie’s and George’s story stays with us, leaving us feeling anywhere from distraught and angry to hollow and sympathetic. This production landed more in neutral territory.
I am going to condense the spoilers as much as I can due to the fact that some people have yet to see the play or read the book or see the movie (seriously though, I would get on that). My roomie had no idea what was going to happen, which made for a fun intermission of predictions. Needless to say, sh*t goes down, and you can tell as early as the looming scenes of Act 1 that things will not be ending super well for these characters.
Chris O’Dowd gives a beautiful, innocent, nuanced performance as Lennie. He’s endearing, touching, and an incredibly sympathetic character. I did not connect with James Franco’s George as much. He has some nice moments, but I think his work may be too subtle for the theatre. I did see him trying, but he lacked life on stage. He’s playing for the camera, and in a big house, his acting gets lost. I imagine audience members in the first few rows have an entirely different experience of his work. I did enjoy the friendship that was developed between Lennie and George, when Franco would let himself go. I could see the humor and love there, particularly in a scene late in Act 1 when they sit at the card table talking about their fantasy of owning their own land someday (pictured above). Franco comes alive and plays beyond a few inches from his face, and that’s when real connection occurs and the sparks start to fly. Leighton Meester was a wash for me. Granted, Curley’s wife is a very hard role, but I don’t know what she was working toward. I didn’t know what she, as the character, wanted. It felt like the same tactic for every moment.
The production (sneak peek here) features a strong ensemble. I particularly enjoyed Jim Parrack as Slim and Jim Norton as Candy. And allow me to name-drop for a moment, because my friend Alex Morf is Curley, and he’s great! It’s his Broadway debut, and he looks so damn good up there playing such an ass.
[SPOILERS IN NEXT PARAGRAPH]
A scene that particularly struck me was Curley’s wife’s death. The moment you see Lennie surrounded by all that hay in the barn, you know it’s time for the iconic turn of events. He sits there with the poor dead puppy in his enormous hands, scolding him for dying. When Curley’s wife joins him on the ground, even people who aren’t familiar with the story know that this can’t end well. I loved the direction of this scene – so simple and understated. These two estranged characters connect without actually connecting at all. They’re both sharing their fears and dreams without actually hearing the other person’s words. When Lennie starts to feel her soft hair, everyone in the house tenses. Her struggle and accidental murder are hard to watch and almost too believable. I wish the last moments of the play had landed similarly with me. I didn’t see George make his final decision to kill Lennie in order to spare him whatever the manhunt would bring. I didn’t see his struggle with the choice, only Lennie’s helplessness. And the last light cue was so blatant that it took me out of it, followed by an abrupt blackout. I wanted another moment with George to see how his actions will affect him and to wonder what’s to come.
Of Mice and Men
Written by John Steinbeck, Directed by Anna D. Shapiro
Longacre Theatre, Closing July 27th
Photo Credit: Sara Krulwich
Pictured: James Franco and Chris O’Dowd
Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging!
Posted: July 16, 2014 Filed under: Comedy, Musical, Off-Broadway | Tags: broadway, forbiddenbroadway, intothewords, parody, pippin, review, spoof Leave a comment
The most recent incarnation of Forbidden Broadway is once again a hodgepodge of Broadway spoofs. Conceived by Gerard Alessandrini, Forbidden Broadway has been running Off-Broadway on and off since 1982. It features two men, two women, and piano accompaniment. In no apparent order, the hits (and flops) of the current season are parodied, and other always-popular-topics are sprinkled in as well (such as Annie or Ethel Merman).
I grew up listening to a whole bunch of FB tunes that I had downloaded on Napster as a dorky Broadway-loving teen. I’ve always been obsessed with “Into the Words,” “I Couldn’t Hit the Note,” and the Les Misérables medley. My dad took me to see it for the first time eight years ago or so, and honestly, I couldn’t stand it. This new version I liked more. The performers are charming, and there are several clever spoofs with full-on laugh-out-loud moments. Some of it is really mean though; it actually made me a little uncomfortable at times. The tone shifts from poking fun or teasing the premise of a show to specifically jabbing at an actor’s talent (or lack thereof). It’s one thing to do a funny impression of Patina Miller in Pippin, but to straight up mock Laura Osnes in Cinderella? Not necessary. Or deserved for that matter.
Basically, the production, as I imagine many of them are, is hit or miss. Some of the songs are very funny, but the misses fall very flat. The best material is mostly in Act 1 – highlights including a Jason Robert Brown bit, The Bridges of Madison County parody, and Pippin. Now, it’s one thing for me to laugh, but I’m betting there were several tourists there that night who probably had not seen most of the season. What’s impressive about the show is that everyone finds it amusing, even when they haven’t seen what’s being spoofed. It’s packed with inside jokes, specific references, and impressions of not-so-famous actors from this year’s productions, and people still laugh. So these guys are doing something right. They have a formula, and they’re sticking to it. But while funny, the gimmick does get old over time. Maybe that’s why Act 2 didn’t do much for me. I say, lose the intermission, cut the weaker filler numbers, and go out with a bang instead of a whimper.
Forbidden Broadway Comes Out Swinging!
Created, Written, and Directed by Gerard Alessandrini, Directed by Phillip George
The Davenport Theatre, Closing July 20th
Photo Credit: Carol Rosegg
Pictured: Scott Richard Foster, Marcus Stevens, Mia Gentile, and Carter Calvert
Becca on Broadway 