Mister Tee wrote:The Durang play is a likely winner, and a very sweet, enjoyable play. It's not quite as deep as it probably imagines itself to be, but it's very funny and offers a lot of pithy observation (though David Hyde Pierce's big second act monologue, while borderline hilarious, flirts a bit with a "what's wrong with these kids today?" stance that had scary overtones of Jack Lemmon is our old favorite Save the Tiger).
By happenstance, I saw Newsies myself week before last. It wasn't on purpose -- a case of mother and cousins going as a group/one cousin dropping out/me dragooned into joining them. I found the show pretty flat, in general. I was completely unfamiliar with the movie (an advantage of being too old for the Disney-brainwashing), so I don't know what of the plot was old or new -- but my main reaction was, how could Harvey Fierstein, whose Torch Song Trilogy was one of the most special evenings in my lifetime of theatre-going, be reduced to such routine writing? I did like the staging well enough, and the dancing was...well...energetic (and imaginative in at least one number, the dancing on the sheets of newpapers). On the whole, though, I was reminded why, even in better times, I didn't go to a whole lot of musicals.
I also -- breaking from my theatre drought in a big way -- saw two of this year's nominated plays: Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike, and The Assembled Parties. The Durang play is a likely winner, and a very sweet, enjoyable play. It's not quite as deep as it probably imagines itself to be, but it's very funny and offers a lot of pithy observation (though David Hyde Pierce's big second act monologue, while borderline hilarious, flirts a bit with a "what's wrong with these kids today?" stance that had scary overtones of Jack Lemmon is our old favorite Save the Tiger). The acting, with the exception of a way overbroad housekeeper/savant, is wonderful: Sigourney Weaver has the least to do but is fine; the guy who plays Spike manages to straddle broadness with believability and never quite tip over; David Hyde Pierce is as good as he's ever been; and Kristine Nielsen, as you may have heard, is wonderful, especially in a second act phone monologue that's beautifully rendered (and is actually evocative of Sonia's monologue in Uncle Vanya itself).
The Assembled Parties may be even more Chekhovian than Vanya/Sonia. I'm not sure the play is fully congealed -- I went with a director friend of ours, and he suggested it could have used more development time. But it's a very moving work, especially in the second act, and has stuck with me. Jessica Hecht has the dominant role, and I'm not quite sure how I feel about her (she's an acquired taste I may not have quite acquired). But I can tell you Judith Light just knocked me out. She's funny throughout, but she takes command in the latter portion of Act II in a way that's just a revelation (at least to me, who didn't see her acclaimed Other Desert Cities work). Bumping Kristine Nielsen to lead for Vanya may make it more difficult for her to win, against all those big names. But I'm glad I won't have to choose between her and Light, both of whom I thought gave wonderful, Tony-worthy performances.
In my recent jaunt to NYC, I caught up with the two big musicals from last season as well, and I'm afraid to say I was pretty disappointed in both. I should have known this going in -- I didn't much care for Once the movie, and I actively despised Newsies the movie -- but I figured I should give both of the stage versions a fair shot. I ended up liking both stage productions MORE than the film versions, but not so much that I'd ever want to see either of them again.
Of the two, Once was definitely the superior show. I thought it worked to some extent as a musical experience -- the cast plays all of the instruments, and by combining choreography and movement with musicianship (and some really beautiful arrangements) I thought the show flirted with something that felt fresh and exciting. And visually, a lot of the staging and lighting helped buoy along the show as an inventive theatrical experience. The problem, though, and it's not a minor one, is that the "plot" is still as thin as a wisp, and the relationship between the two leads is as trite and minor as it was in the film. "Falling Slowly" is still a great song, but the bulk of this material just strikes me as so bland I still don't get its appeal to so many people. (Or, perhaps the generic nature of it allows people to project their own experiences on to those of "Guy" and "Girl," but that's not what I look for in drama.)
Still, better Once ended up the Tony winner than Newsies, which I thought wasn't nearly as improved from its Razzie-winning film origins as I'd been told. One definite plus: Broadway actors, who can sing those beautiful Alan Menken melodies in a way that Christian Bale and company never could. And the dancing is way more showstopping than any of the clunky numbers in the movie. But the book? YIKES. When I see "written by Harvey Fierstein" my first thought usually isn't, this is going to feel old and stale. And just because the show is set in 1899 doesn't mean the jokes need to feel like they were written in 1899, but good heavens, this script makes the jokes in Anything Goes look revolutionary by comparison. (One of my favorite exchanges: "Why do old people talk?" / "To prove they're still alive." <guffaws from audience>) But the overall corniness wasn't even my least favorite part. There's a major plot element that wasn't in the movie, and literally the moment it was introduced, I knew exactly what the big act two plot twist would be, it was so baldly telegraphed (and, you know, I'd seen two-reelers before.) And THEN...when the Big Twist came...the audience let out an audible GASP so loud I nearly started laughing, I couldn't believe more people weren't rolling their eyes like I was. Let me put it this way: when your musical plays straight the same narrative that Urinetown played for parody over a decade prior...you have a problem. The Menken score is still memorable (though all of the worthy songs come from the movie, so that Best Score Tony was really more a career/no-other-options prize), but at its core, this material is just too dumb in any form for me to care that much.
Re-reading some of this thread's posts, I also wanted to add that I saw the LA production of Other Desert Cities last December, and I liked it a lot. I found it to be an oft-funny/oft-painful account of parents and children relating to one another. And, I'd hate to reveal too much, but the major second act plot development caught me completely off-guard, and I was thrilled that the narrative was able to orchestrate such a deft story detour that felt both from-nowhere as well as completely of a piece with the characters and backstory presented up until that point. So, at least from me, this one would get a thumbs up.
I thought they might have been microphones but the lead singer had a hand-held mic and still had one on his forehead. The others had the usual side mics over their ears.
Judith Light had high profile reucrring roles in TV's Law & Order SVU as a judge and mentor to one of the Assistant DA's and in Ugly Betty as Eric Mabius' mother as well as Who's the Boss and an earlier soap opera in which she made her name.
Audra McDonald has had minor roles in TV outside of Private Practice which I've never watched, but her main career is on the stage. Her film career is almost non-existant. Her most recent film is Rampart in which her big scene has Woody Harrelson sucking her toes.
Audra McDonald has five Tonys now, I would hardly consider her short stint on Private Practice to make her an outside-of-theater name...Private Practice isn't Who's the Boss?
As for the microphone thing? How silly. Why place it there, it's distracting.
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
OscarGuy wrote:But notice how the only BIG, outside-of-theater name that received an award was Judith Light. Everything else, I think, went to people those not in the theater community probably wouldn't know.
Audra McDonald is fairly well-known on TV having been on Private Practice for a number of seasons.
The Tonys actually aired live in the Philippines this year. I think it's partially because Godspell performed and TWO of its cast members are Filipino-Americans.
I thought most of the numbers were pretty good. I didn't particularly like Jesus Christ Superstar. I love the show and that's like the big show-stopping number but from what they showed here, the number is pretty lame, it's like they didn't even TRY.
Big Magilla wrote:And what exactly does that guy from One Man, Two Guvnors do besides roll around on the floor?
I just saw One Man, Two Guvnors in London last month. Corden's role is certainly very physical and much of the play relies on sight gags and a broader sense of comedy (such as "look, a fat, sweaty man rolling around on the floor!"), but his character completely dominates the show and it's a dynamo. Infectious, very endearing and, at times, belly-achingly funny, he contributes to much of what was one of the most enjoyable nights I've had in the theater. The Act I female audience gag is one of the swiftest tricks I've seen in a live show.
"The mantle of spinsterhood was definitely in her shoulders. She was twenty five and looked it."
OscarGuy wrote:Did anyone notice the strange marks on the foreheads of the performers in Hairspray? I thought their singing was terrible, but I was distracted by the blemishes...it's not like this is near Ash Wednesday, so it shouldn't have been that...
They were microphones.
"Go into the world and do well. But more importantly, go into the world and do good."
- Minor Myers, Jr.
Gotta say, little bit wierded out by Once being thought of as amibitious. Sure, it's not a generic Disney crowd-pleaser, but is it really ambitious? That stated, I think it's hilarious that Enda frickin' Walsh got a Tony. Terrific writer (he cowrote Hunger with McQueen, and I really like some of his plays).
I've only read three of the plays nominated, and I slightly prefered Other Desert Cities to Clybourne Park, though I thought Venus in Fur trounces them both. I consider myself a massive Baitz fan (A Fair Country is one of the finest plays of the 1990s) but ODC wasn't all that good. Clybourne Park really should ship that Pulitzer back, but I haven't read the Guare or D'Amour pieces nominated (both on my shelf, though)
I couldn't figure out what they were. The first one I saw I thought was tape that came loose from a wig, but there were too many of them to be that, but they were just below the wig lines.
Did anyone notice the strange marks on the foreheads of the performers in Hairspray? I thought their singing was terrible, but I was distracted by the blemishes...it's not like this is near Ash Wednesday, so it shouldn't have been that...
Wesley Lovell
"Any society that would give up a little liberty to gain a little security will deserve neither and lose both." - Benjamin Franklin
