Tuesday, July 31, 2007

How Underground Are You?

So take one blog, plus one person bored at work, shake well, and what do you get? Stumbling upon a blurb about The Undergroundzero Festival. Which took place 7/30/07 at the Collective Unconscious theater at 279 Church Street. The "festival" consisted of three puppet scenes. One scene was actually scenes from the upcoming New York Musical Theater Festival production of Die Hard: The Puppet Musical. While the other two were scenes in and of themselves, "Words, Words, Words" and "Puppet Kafka."

Let's start with "Words, Words, Words" a scene by David Ives, about three chimps that are placed into a room to write Hamlet. The scene was very clever, but the one drawback was that you couldn't see the puppets because they were so small, and the stage was no conducive to having small objects placed upon it. I was straining to see above the people in the theater, and I am tall. It was really not a pleasant viewing experience. But overall it was the best scene of the night. The puppeteers were a bit distracting though because of the fact that they were using minuscule puppets and they dwarfed them. An ineffective tool, considering the aspects of the theater. The director/performer of this scene stated that it was a scene in a book of collected works by Mister Ives. But I was too distracted rubbing my sore neck that I didn't catch what the title of the book was.

Next up, "Puppet Kafka," this vignette, was too esoteric for the general viewing audience. Unless they have a knowledge of Kafka and his works, they were left perplexed and confused. "Puppet Kafka" intertwined his work "The Metamorphosis" and the story of the author's life. Again it was difficult to see because of the angle of the stage. I think that if they found their audience with this piece it would have been more effective. Plus they need to perform it on a different stage, the space itself was nice, but they need to rework the way the seats were placed.

The next offering was scenes from Die Hard: The Puppet Musical. It has potential, but they need to rework the songs, and perhaps cast people who could sing and those who could work puppets. There was one song that was sung by one of the terrorists, that needs to be cut. It didn't make sense, and ruined the pacing of the show. I think I may go see the full production, but we'll see. Because I think as a whole it has a lot of positive things going for it. There is a resurgence of movies from the 80's being taken and made into musicals with camp value, and I think this could be one. We'll see what the future holds for this little musical.

Some negative aspects of this show, it seemed all very thrown together very fast. Very odd. I wonder if this was thrown together in a week. It ran very much like a middle school scene night for drama class. But then again it was at an experimental theater in TriBeca.

Friday, July 27, 2007

Guilty of Being Terrible



Guilty, a new drama by playwright Nancy Manocherian playing it's final performance at The Acorn Theater in the Theater Row complex on 42nd between 9th and 10th July 28th, is a mess. Not not a mess in the traditional sense, but a mess in terms of writing, acting, plot, pacing, and general storytelling, okay so maybe it is a mess in the traditional sense. My bad

This play has a hard time deciding what the main plot is. Sitting in the audience watching it seemed to me like it was trying to tell too many stories in the short intermissionless time of the production. I was so confused by the time the story reached it's climax that I didn't know whether to fake it or not(wink).

From what I can gather from the loose bits of string that I pulled together to right myself, the story is about a not seen character, who's white collar crimes have provoked his group of friends, to think about their own lives in retrospect, and examine the things that they have done in their past.

The only solid thing about this show was some of the performances. Gloria Gallo delivers what is possibly the best performance of the show. Her portrayal of a woman who is unhappy in her current life, and thinks about having an affair with a former boyfriend, brings a human aspect to the character of Dori. There is a scene where she has an orgasm on stage. An uncomfortable moment I am sure for any actor, but one in which Gallo tackles with composure. It was by far the highlight of the play. And a scene from what I have learned was mostly improvised.

Another one of the highlights was Tracee Chimo, as the rebellious daughter of another stand out Mary Ann Conk as Marcie. Both characters were not flushed out enough to be main characters, but their performances make you wish they would come onstage more often to cancel out the drudgery of the other performers. To my shock one of the weakest cast members Darnell Williams actually won a daytime Emmy.

I always feel like I should say something positive when I write a review. So I will. The set was amazing, the chairs they had were simple and brilliant. The understated minimalist sets were supposed to convey the somberness of the play itself. This tool was quite effective. Overall probably the most enjoyable aspect of the production was the set design.

All and all this play was not really worth much. And needed too much work to receive an actual commercial production. Maybe after some serious retooling, this play could have a life outside of an experimental production.

Wednesday, July 25, 2007

The More You Know Won't Hurt You

Complied below is a list of things that I have learned in my many years a theater goer. Many people do not know how to behave respectfully when attending, so you know enjoy . . .

The Golden Rule: Be polite and do not sing along no matter how many times you have seen the show, singing includes humming, and mouthing the words to the songs in musicals. It's distracting to the other paying members of the audience, there are some shows where you can sing along and it's okay, like Mamma Mia, I am sure no one will care if you sing along to this piece of crap, in fact outsing the people on stage!

Candy Rule: I know you may be hungry, but for the love of god, open your candy before you get into the theater, better yet, don't bring in any at all. There's nothing worse than the sound of crinkling wrappers. I was at a performance of Howard Katz, and some person was opening up what sounded like a bag of chips during the performance, it was annoying and the whole audience shushed them, I hope they can feel shame.

Know The Show You're Seeing: I know that some of you may be tourists. But at least ask someone at the TKTS booth what the show was about. And a lot of times there is a handy little synopsis in the Playbill/Program. They are useful, look into it! I was at a performance of the Touring production of Little Shop of Horrors, and much to my surprise, a lot of people were shocked when the plant stared talking. There was a gasp that swept through the audience. Really? Really? If you shelled out money for the tickets, you should know what you're getting into.

Don't Talk: Please for the love of God, don't talk during a performance. Talk about distracting. When the curtain goes up, your mouth goes closed. I know you may think you're funnier than the playwright or the actors on stage, but they don't come into your job and talk over your presentation do they? Well some might, but unless you're onstage, you shouldn't be talking.

Pay Attention: Most of the questions that you have will be revealed later in the show. Don't ask constatly what is happening or who that person is. All will be divulged sooner or later, unless it's The Times They Are A-Changin' then you're probably in the majority when you are wondering what is going on.

Applaud in Moderation: It's apropo to applaud after the songs in musicals, but don't overdo it. You end up looking like a special-ed student. I promise. I've seen it. Oh and sometimes it's okay to applaud when a certain performer comes onstage for the first time. And if you liked it, at the end you can stand up and clap, and you know do whatever you want. But don't think it's required to stand-up. Do what feels best for you.

Silence Your Cell Phone: Distracting as hell. And whatever you do, don't answer your phone. Turn it off when you get into the theater.

Walking Out: If for some reason you can't handle the show anymore, wait until intermission to leave the theater, it won't kill you to stay for an hour and a half, before you leave, I mean if it sucks, leave, but don't show disrespect by leaving during a song or in the middle of a scene. This goes for everyone no matter how old you are!

I am sure there are more things, feel free to add some, and you know we'll figure out a better list.

Monday, July 23, 2007

They Call It Xanadu


I must say of all the shows I have seen on Broadway that have been adapted from previous source material, mainly movies, I never thought in my life I would see quite possibly the worst movie ever made turned into a successful stage show.

Xanadu is the story of Clio/Kira(Kerry Butler) a muse who is sent to earth to inspire a young man Sonny(Cheyenne Jackson) to create art, and what else would you create if you were living in the 80's a time of roller skates and at the tail end of the disco movement? A Roller Disco of course!

The play and the movie only have one thing in common, the score. The book which was wonderfully redone by Douglas Carter Beane(Broadway's The Little Dog Laughed), is full of theater jokes and stabs at the original screenplay. The best one of these stabs is to explain where the Australian accent that Clio/Kira uses when she comes down to earth. So as to disguise herself from the mortals. This explanation also works to explain why she wears leg warmers and roller skates.

Of course since this is a musical comedy, we need to have antagonists, enter Clio's sisters Calliope and Melpomene, brilliantly played by Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa respectively. Who out of jealously try to halt their sister's plans to inspire art, set a curse upon their sister to make her fall in love with Sonny. I don't want to ruin what happens in the end, because I want to give you all some incentive to go see it.

The score by ELO's Jeff Lynne and John Farrar is full of the catchy melodic hooks that made the original songs top 40 hits. Brilliantly sung by the cast and staged by director Christopher Ashley and choreographer Dan Knechtges. The numbers actually make sense in this version unlike in their movie counterpart. And if they don't which some of them do not, it doesn't effect the musical like some others where songs are just placed in for no reason.

There were amazing things in the musical, the book for one, was a series of jokes, that worked to tell the loose story. The score was amazing, seeing these songs sung live as opposed to listening to them on the original soundtrack made the musical more of a concert experience ala Mamma Mia, as opposed to a traditional book musical.


The cast was seamless, I have trouble envisioning Sonny being played by anyone other than Jackson. His portrayal of the character as a dopey stoner with no clue of his surroundings made the musical more enjoyable. Granted I have not see James Carpinello in the role, but I cannot really see anyone else but Mister Jackson playing Sonny.

Kerry Butler in the role she helped to originate in workshop readings of the production, but replaced in the pre-broadway workshops by 3o Rock star and Tony Winner for her work in Nine Jane Krakowski, is brilliant as Clio/Kira. Her comic timing is impeccable! Her strong and powerful belt suits this role. The best from Butler comes when she imitates Olivia Newton John's breathy Soprano in the classic songs "Suddenly" and "Suspended In Time" the latter in which she sings upon Pegasus! Truly inspired! If she doesn't at least get a Tony Nomination(she should have gotten one for her work as Penny in Hairspray), there is seriously something wrong with the Tony voters!

Jackie Hoffman and Mary Testa as the sisters are a riot. They shout out one liners and witty repartee some of which seems to be improvised, but a lot of it thrown in by Beane. One of the best numbers in the show is the ELO classic "Evil Woman" while not included in the original movie, is blended seamlessly into the score. Testa seems at ease with the writing delivering one of the best lines in the show.


Clio: You mean to tell me that you believe my sister's placed a curse on you to make you fall in love with me, but you don't believe that I am a muse from Ancient Greece.
Sonny: Well that one has a sort of Witchie-Poo look about her.
Melpomene: Well I try to keep the look simple and let my personality shine through.

Brilliant writing and brilliant performances make this new musical a must see. I know I will be going back, next time I will be sitting on stage.

The Hairspray Movie


Now I know I have been a bad gay, telling people about this blog then not following through in updating it. Whoops!

So I have seen some shows that I will eventually get to reviewing, but now while it's still fresh in my mind is the new film adaptation of the hit Broadway musical Hairspray.

When I first heard about this project, I was skeptical, the original movie was basically a musical without the songs. I was in love with the original movie, and when I heard they were turning it into a Broadway musical I was slightly disappointed. Then of course I bought the cast recording and from the first "Oh Oh Oh's" I was hooked.

I am usually a fan of the big screen musical adaptations but they occasionally fall flat. Fortunately this one does not. I think a vast majority of the credit goes to newcomer Nikki Blonksy. This woman was a burst of energy from the first moment she stepped on screen. She carried the whole movie with zest and innocence in her portrayal of Tracy, a overweight teen in Baltimore who dreams of dancing on The Corney Collins show, an American Bandstand type local TV show. Though I enjoyed the staccato belting of Marisa Jaret Winokur in the role that won her a Tony, Nikki's take on the opening number "Good Morning Baltimore" was fun and energetic, lending her striking tonalities to the song to make it like no version I have heard. Nikki clearly has star potential, but the question remains, will she find any future film success?

I think I am going to do sort of a positive negative, negative, positive review of this movie. So here comes my first negative, John Travolta as Edna, the desperate overweight housewife who has forgone her own dreams because of a lack of self-confidence. Travolta may have seemed like inspired casting by some, and I too must admit that I was in that camp before I saw his horrifying performance as Edna. His accent sounded like Mike Myers' Dr. Evil character from the Austin Powers films. While the movie was progressing, I didn't get a sense of him as a woman, I got a sense of him as a guy in a fat suit, whereas when I watched the original movie Devine had me believing that she was an actual woman, and not just a man in drag. The same with Harvey Firestein in the original Broadway production. Travolta seemed uncomfortable in his own skin, or rather his prosthetic fat suit. And his singing left little to be desired. Like other reviews have written, he was the main sour note in this film.

Another sour note, was the casting of Amanda Bynes as Penny. Granted she wasn't on screen for the long, but whenever she was, she was distracting. In the original movie Leslie Ann Power's Penny was not as socially aware or rather aware at all, leading to a clueless Penny that actually grows into herself. And Kerry Butler's Penny in the original Broadway cast was ditsy and in the end of the show, she becomes this sexpot with a soulful belt. Amanda Bynes's performance could have been the fault of the director and screenwriter for not fully flushing out her character, or it could be her own. Her Penny was too sexy throughout the whole movie, she didn't seem like the sweet innocent sheltered Penny's of the past. Her Penny was more of the naughty school girl who has been around the block a few times. And her singing voice was limp and lifeless. Penny is supposed to have a soulful diva belt, not a limp whisper.

And now to end on a positive note. Christopher Walken as Wilbur was the most inspired casting in the whole movie. His bumbling clueless joke shop owner almost stole the movie. His dancing and singing were brilliant. I was also impressed with Michelle Pfeiffer's Velma. I am not usually a Pfeiffer fan, but she impressed me in this role, she was evil and beautiful, and it didn't stretch her as a dramatic actress, the roles she usually fails miserably at. She was consistent, and her role was pretty much idiot proof. Rounding out the ensemble was Zac Efron as a oddly sexual Link, who's best scene was when he entered Tracy's Room and molested her pillow while staring at a picture of her in "Without Love." He was likable enough, but his acting in this film, much like his acting in High School Musical, was terrible and he looked confused out of his mind the whole time. Elijah Kelly's Seaweed was impressive, a good combination of dancing and singing, I don't think he was really given a fully developed enough character to show off his acting abilities. And by far the second most impressive performance in the movie Queen Latifah.

Latifah's Motormouth Maybelle, had to be the highlight of the movie. Is there nothing that this woman cannot do? She sang the hell out of "I Know Where I've Been" one of my least favourite songs from the score of the Broadway venture, but the best number in the movie. It was so moving and powerful. A must see moment. I would say that for that scene alone we are looking at, at least a Golden Globe Nomination for the Queen. Brilliant.

Overall the great performances held the piece together, and picked up slack where there was weakness. The choreography was tight, and the songs were seamlessly interwoven into the screenplay. Brilliant directing by Adam Shankman using muted tones throughout the whole movie. I will most definitely be heading back to the theater to see this movie, and will be recommending it to friends and family.

Wednesday, July 4, 2007

WELCOME!

Hey guys,

Welcome to Tales of a Theaterfag. A blog where I review the shows I have seen on Broadway and off. I have not seen that much as of late, so the first couple entries will be of shows that I have seen since I have been here. So enjoy and be critical or whatever you want. Chances are I won't care what you have to say!