"Time to Leave," happenings

So, finals are over. Freedom has set over me.

This morning, I walked with Christina in Central Park. Then I hung out with Khiem, window shopping, eating at Spice, window shopping some more, eating at the bakery, visiting the Charmin Restrooms. It was quite a bit of fun. I need to make a return trip to Marc by Marc Jacobs.

Tonight I watched a depressing but wonderful movie, Time to Leave (Le Temps Qui Reste), a French movie directed by Francois Ozon about a gay photographer struck with terminal cancer and his methods of coping and subsequent death. It was one of the most beautiful movies about death I've ever seen and just a beautiful and thought-provoking movie overall. Melvil Poupaud was wonderful as Romain, the photographer, and Jeanne Moreau was also beautiful as his grandmother, Laura. I recommend the movie highly and will most definitely check out some more of Ozon's films soon.

The past week

So, this his been a fun and stressful week.

Midweek, Wednesday and Thursday, I had to write a humungous paper for my journalism class, but now I'm finally totally done with that junk.

Thursday night, I went to the opening night of The Apple Tree. I liked it a lot better the second time. Everyone was really "on" for opening night, and I sort of settled into the material in a way that I wasn't able to the first time I saw it. It was also good to see Ryan again for the first time in about a month.

Tonight (Friday), I went to see Spring Awakening for the third time. Jaron, John D. Carrion, and Malorie from the 12th floor last year were all there, so it was fun to see them. This time was my first time sitting in the mezzanine, and, though the seats up there were very, very cramped, it provided a unique perspective. I was able to notice how great the choreography by Bill T. Jones and lighting were. I also noticed a few little plot-related moments that I hadn't caught from the other perspectives from which I've seen the show (in the right orchestra, and sitting on stage left). There's also a new verse that the character of Ilse sings leading into the finale, "The Song of Purple Summer," that was pretty good. Spring Awakening is definitely my favorite current show. I think it's time to take a rest for a few weeks though. I also want to revisit Grey Gardens.

In comes mixed "Company"

On November 9, I saw the current Broadway revival of "Company" on Broadway. I withheld comment on the blog because I knew I'd have to write a more in-depth analysis as the second paper for my musical theatre class. Below, I'm reprinting that analysis, slightly revised, which is pretty much a straightforward review. To the right is my mock-up for an improved poster for the revival (as I promised I would do after my Apple Tree mock-up). Enjoy:


John Doyle’s latest actor-musician revival to hit Broadway, of Stephen Sondheim and George Furth’s 1970 musical Company, works. It works very hard. Whether or not it works well is a different question with no cut-and-dry answer.

Though John Doyle’s directorial style of choice, which utilizes the actors within a musical as the show’s orchestra, originally arose as a financial necessity, this concept was subsequently put to use as a way to shed new light on works of musical theatre that Doyle felt were worth revisiting.

His production of Sondheim’s masterpiece Sweeney Todd last season using the same technique was widely hailed by critics. This new production of Company cannot escape comparison with Sweeney, a juxtaposition which sheds light on Company’s weaknesses, though there are also some considerable assets to be considered.

Company, unlike Sweeney Todd, is most certainly a musical of its time. Though Sweeney has been at a remove from the time period in which it was set – London during the industrial revolution – since its first Broadway production in 1979, Company was created in 1970 as a comment on the current state of things, focusing on a group of Manhattan urbanites, and, more specifically, the relationships between a group of married friends and their bachelor friend Bobby.

Much like Rent will most likely lose its relevance over time as a comment on the AIDS epidemic and the 1990s over time, Company has lost something over the years, perhaps a reason for the limited success of other recent revivals of the show, like those at Donmar Warehouse in London and at Roundabout Theatre Company on Broadway, both in the mid-1990s.

While the show remains funny enough, its jokes land more for their kitschy remove from relevance than for their genuine punchiness. A scene about experimentation with pot between the characters of David, Jenny, and Bobby, which is by all means funny, doesn’t have the same impact that it must have had during the musical’s original 1970 run. Various other period references, as to phone answering services in “Another Hundred People,” leave the show firmly rooted in the past.

Though surely its themes of relationships and connectedness transcend its time period, an attempt to transport the show to a sort of ambiguously timeless setting through the use of barebones black costumes by Ann Hould-Ward are marred by the show’s book. Besides for being dated, the show is also loosely structured, with little in the way of conventional plot, fully fleshed-out characters replaced by stereotypical glimpses at 1970s urbanites.

The show’s drawbacks seem almost insurmountable, and surely the piece is so often revived because of the strength of its score rather than the contributions of George Furth, which serve merely as a frothy mortar for Sondheim’s often incisive musical comments on society.

Songs like “Ladies Who Lunch,” with its cutting criticism of society dames “clutching their copies of Life just to keep in touch,” as well as “Sorry Grateful,” “Another Hundred People,” and the most famous song of the score, “Being Alive,” are like little nuggets of Broadway gold. With effective lyrics that seem effortless in their quick wit and haunting and engaging melodies, it’s hard not to at least relish the chance to hear these songs presented on the Broadway stage, and at the very least I was thrilled to witness this production in order to hear these songs that I’ve grown to love. Energetic songs like “You Could Drive a Person Crazy” (pictured at left), “Side by Side by Side,” and “What Would We Do Without You?” make this one of Sondheim’s most varied and likeable scores, with plenty of variation between more subdued songs of yearning or regret, and angrier or more lively ones.

Conceptually, I enjoyed the use of pared-down orchestrations in last season’s production of Sweeney Todd much more so than in Company. Sarah Travis, the musical director of that production did wonderful work to the end of making the show seem frighteningly claustrophobic, strains of melody acting like haunting shimmers of light reflected and refracted by Sweeney’s razor.

Though Sweeney is better known than Company for the lushness of its sound, I thought that overall the reduction of its orchestrations was more successful. The bold, brassy sounds of Company with which I had become so familiar from repeated listens to the original cast album were sorely missed, the appropriately busy feeling of the music replaced by a duller, more string-influenced sound that seemed inappropriate within the hustle and bustle of the show’s direction.

In addition, the actor-musicians left much to be desired in comparison to those of Sweeney. Where Company got its musical concept right was in the decision to use orchestral pairings to set the various couplings of characters apart from the central character of Bobby, who restrains from joining the band until his triumphant final song, “Being Alive.” It was in the fleshing out of the relationships between characters (Johanna and Anthony as a couple of young string-playing lovers, Sweeney’s deliberate guitar like a conspiratorial whisper behind the tense duet of “Not While I’m Around” between Mrs. Lovett and Tobias) that I thought Sweeney was most successful in utilizing this construct, and this felt less affecting within the cacophonous company behind Company, with orchestrations and musical supervision provided by Mary-Mitchell Campbell this time around.

On the positive side, there are several winning elements to the credit of this production of Company. Most notable are the fine leading performance of Raul Esparza as the prolonged bachelor Bobby and some winning contributions on the part of the design team and director Doyle.

Like a diamond in the rough amongst an otherwise satisfactory if mostly unimpressionable cast, Raul Esparza (pictured at right) stands out as a charismatic and nuanced Bobby. He is able to keep the audience firmly on his side and in the palm of his hand while remaining at a measured distance from the company of the couples that he keeps at hand for dinner parties and other social functions.

My biggest disappointment in the cast was in Barbara Walsh’s one-note portrayal of Joanne. Standing in the daunting shoes of Elaine Stritch, who originated her role, Walsh (pictured at left) seems overwhelmed by the task of making her mark, and, in doing so, ends up just another voice in the crowd, failing even to land her biggest number, “The Ladies Who Lunch.”

Jane Pfitsch, who played Amy on the night I saw the show, on the other hand, stopped the show with her brilliant and manic performance of “Getting Married Today,” and Angel Desai was fine as Marta in her spirited rendition of “Another Hundred People,” oddly split into segments by book writer George Furth, which detracted from the full impact of the song’s build.

The design of the show and some of the elements of its staging were the most thrilling parts for me. Manhattan, the general setting of the show, can seem a cold and unforgiving place, and David Gallo’s set is brilliantly simplistic in its delivery of this impression. The bulk of the action takes place on a wood-paneled diamond set at center stage. Upstage left on this main platform stands a prominent white column atop a circular radiator, serving as a sort of arguably phallic presence looming over the proceedings.

Surrounding this main playing area is a field of black reflective marble, spare like the void of the city at night and capturing the flashes of light from the action on the main platform. At a remove from the central wooden playing are two matte black diamonds, one on either side of the stage, where Bobby can stand at a remove when necessary, as when he is encouraged by his male friends in “Have I Got a Girl For You.”

Behind all this sit a number of ice cube-like platforms serving as a sort of orchestra pit to which the musicians retreat when not involved in the proceedings. Reflected in the black of the stage floor, the cubes almost seem to take on the quality of half empty (or half full) glasses.

The sets work well with Doyle’s directorial style, allowing for divisions to be set between the characters. Sending actors in various processions around the outer edges of the center diamond, Doyle’s production pulses with an underlying collective energy much like that of the rhythms of a New York City street; his design team has most certainly aided in putting this across.

David Gallo's impressive minimalist set.

Another inventive choice in this production was the use of a single spotlight onstage by lighting designer Thomas Hase to serve as a symbolic birthday candle for Bobby. Serving as a beacon of isolation early in the piece, it is with the use of this device in the final birthday scene that Doyle strikes at the heart of the piece. After joining in on the collective orchestra of the production in the song “Being Alive,” the lights onstage fade to only that of the candle and an atmospheric blue on the looming pillar upstage. Bringing the show to a thrilling close, the lights fade to black just as Bobby steps in a new direction into the flickering spotlight and blows out his candle.

Though some of the urgency of the piece may have been lost over time and his assembled cast may not be ideal, Doyle makes an attempt to enliven and enrich Company through this current production. It’s possible to pinpoint successes and failures throughout this anticipated revival, which had the daunting challenge of living up to the success of Sweeney Todd. In the end, however, it was a more exhilarating experience, for me at least, to witness a revival that makes a daring attempt to reinvigorate a troubled show with mixed success than a cookie-cutter production of a show that makes little attempt to present anything new as food for thought for its audience. This may be a mixed Company, but what’s a party without its oddballs and mishaps?

"The Apple Tree"

Tonight I saw Roundabout's third show of the season (and first musical!), The Apple Tree, starring Kristin Chenoweth. I wasn't too familiar with the show before seeing it, but I had anticipated another chance to see Kristin on stage after having loved her performance as Glinda in Wicked. She most definitely sells the show to maximum effect.

It's a musical made up of three different movements (one-act musicals, essentially), each a different story about the roles of men and women.

The first part, "The Diary of Adam and Eve," is based on a story by Mark Twain. It chronicles the early struggles of Adam and Eve in a humorous way (naming animals, building shelter, discovering fire, etc.).

The second part, "The Lady or the Tiger?" is based on a story by Frank R. Stockton that tells of a woman's dilemma as she chooses whether to send her lover into the arms of another woman or the jaws of a tiger.

The third part, "Passionella," is based on a story by Jules Feiffer, and it tells the story of a nerdy chimney sweep who, during certain hours of the day, is transformed into a glamorous movie star.

Altogether, the throughline was cute but underwhelming, with a few running gags being the unifying thread between the various stories. It's mostly just a frothy excuse for a star vehicle for whatever excellent female performer is currently available for a Broadway engagement, and it's a decent one at that, written by the composing team of Bock and Harnick reponsible for Fiddler on the Roof, She Loves Me, and others.

The Broadway and film ingenue currently available for a Broadway production of The Apple Tree is Kristin Chenoweth, a versatile performer who was able to move between these different roles with ease. Known for winning the Tony for her role as Sally in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown and her star turn as Glinda in Wicked, she's a spectacular performer and sure to create box office boffo, even if starring in The Phone Book the Musical. The men of the show, Brian D'Arcy James and Marc Kudisch (Chenoweth's ex-fiance) complemented her well.

Overall, the score is forgettable, though it's pretty enough so as to be listenable and has a few standouts though no showstoppers. The design of the show, which was relatively sparse, was effective.

For me, the standout piece was "Passionella," as Chenoweth really felt comfortable with the transition between geek and movie star. It was thrilling to watch her transformation -- less because of the thinly veiled physically transformative moment and more for the gifted acting skills that were employed. She is a woman of impeccable comic timing, with the ability to arouse a belly laugh from the littlest movement of her tiny body.

Kristin Chenoweth as Ella and Passionella in the "Passionella" segment of The Apple Tree

Overall, The Apple Tree makes for a fun evening at the theatre. I question why, of all musicals, this was the one considered most valuable for Roundabout to revive, but it's definitely a cute enough vehicle for Kristin Chenoweth, who is the main reason to see the show.

I'll be seeing it again on opening night (next Thursday), so if anything new occurs to me, I'll post it then. I predict the reviews will be favorable at least for Kristin.

On a completely different note, Emma and I visited the Charmin Restrooms (the holiday event of the year) before the show:

It's alarmin' how Charmin I feel.

"Spring Awakening" CD

So, today, the major task I gave myself was to go to the Eugene O'Neill Theatre today and pick up a copy of the Spring Awakening cast recording, which they're now selling at the theatre in advance of the official store release date of Tuesday, December 12.

So the show is pretty much my current favorite. I'm going for my third time next Friday, and I can't wait. I'll be seeing it from the mezzanine this time, so I'll have seen it from on the stage, in the orchestra, and in the mezzanine. The show opens tomorrow night, so we'll see how the reviews are and if the show takes off or gets any extra buzz.

Anyway, I pretty much couldn't have rushed home any faster after getting my hands on a copy of the CD, and I'm already obsessed. At least now I don't have to spend money just to hear the songs. I also think that the CD is going to spread a sort of grassroots movement for the show, as the music is pretty much the highlight of the overall experience. I think that the CDs for shows like Rent and Wicked made a big difference in getting the word out and filling seats. A CD makes a show accessible to people across the nation. The fact that Spring Awakening has songs like "The Bitch of Living" and "Totally Fucked" and even has a parental advisory notice will probably also help its appeal (even if those aren't necessarily the best songs in the show).

Anyway, what I've noticed from the CD is that, while it's great overall, the flimsiness of some of the lyrics is more obvious when you're not taking the music in along with the visuals and engaged in the moment. It's not a replacement for the live experience by any means, but it's a nice way to tide myself over between visits. And I'm sure it'll also be great for the walks to and from work.

Anyway, go out and get the CD as soon as possible (Tuesday in stores, now at the theatre). I guarantee if there's one theatre CD you must get this year, this is it, and you won't regret buying it. Christmas gifts, anyone? Then go out and see the show for yourself.

Also, on Wednesday, December 13 from 6 till 7:30, the cast and Duncan Sheik will be at the SoHo Apple Store for an in-store performance celebrating the CD release, so be there or be square!

In other news I went to see Merrily We Roll Along by Sondheim and George Furth at Columbia last night, which was a lot of fun. One of my friends from Summer Stage, Claire, played the lead role of Mary, and she was great. It's a show where the plot moves backwards, chronicalling the relationships between three best friends and their lovers. It's such a wonderful show; it manages to be depressing in that you see through the backwards movement of the plot that everyone ends up unhappy, yet that the show ends on a hopeful note with the beautiful song "Our Time." Anyway, Austin loved it too, which really surprised me.

Afterwards we hung out with Christina and Richard. Yay!

Tonight is The Apple Tree with Kristin Chenoweth with Emma, and tomorrow I'm probably going to see Cabaret at NYU. Yay!

"The Vertical Hour"

I can barely contain the joy I feel in response to this evening of theatre!

Having read a number of David Hare plays in recent weeks and seen Stuff Happens with Emma at the Public Theatre over the summer, I am most certainly a convert to Hare's theatrical congregation. He loves to throw out ideas and quotes with spitfire ease and to challenge his characters on both a personal and a social level, which I love. Needless to say, having been a student of his works mostly on the level of reading them and not seeing them, I was more than elated to see The Vertical Hour -- not only a new Hare play but the first to ever premiere in America before Britain.

Though its reviews were mixed, there was no way I could miss this play. I'm taking a class on Tom Stoppard, Caryl Churchill, and David Hare next semester, for one. Not having seen his most recent work would be almost criminal (at least to me personally), especially since I'm going to see each part of The Coast of Utopia by Tom Stoppard, which clocks in at over 8 hours.

This afternoon, I went to attempt to acquire a ticket. I figured I would be unlucky, but standing room tickets were readily available in the afternoon for the evening show.

Arriving around 7:45, I was ready for a long evening of standing and taking in the relatively dense dialogue that Hare is known for. A few minutes before the curtain rose, I reached down to make sure my cell phone was off, and when I turned back up and around, a middle aged man asked me (of all the people in standing room) if I'd trade places with him and let him stand, because he gets restless at the theatre.

The first thing that came to my mind (as if it should matter to me, as I was consigned to stand otherwise) was,"Where is your seat?"

"The second row," he replied. So, at the last minute, I'm rushed down to the second row, filling in a seat that neighbors had piled coats upon (I almost thought for a minute I'd been had by a scalper -- it was too good to be true).

And the experience was fantastic! The play is excellent, a study on the relationship between an American ex-journalist, Nadia Blye (Julianne Moore), her boyfriend Philip (the excellent Brit Andrew Scott), and his father, Oliver, played by the wonderful Bill Nighy. The play focuses on their views on the Iraq war and Nadia's feelings about her time as a journalist overseas. While Julianne certainly seemed uncomfortable being on stage during some parts, giving more than a handful of relatively awkward line readings, when she really dug deeply into the material and let herself soak into her dialogue, she did a fine job. There were several times when I felt genuinely involved in the life of her character, and those moments more than compensated for the times I felt detached because of some strange acting choices. Andrew Scott was also a standout -- he was very charismatic and natural as her boyfriend, with a winning charm that gave the play a much-needed lift at moments.

The chemistry between the actors in general felt a bit underdeveloped, but I was able to let that go because of the excellent quality of the writing and the redeeming acting of Bill Nighy, who really stole the show. He has a lanky, laid back, comfortable way about him, and he has great ease with words. His delivery always feels like natural speech even in the way he mutters or stutters during certain lines. Overall, he owned the show.

The music used for scene changes was also excellent, including the use of Bob Dylan ("Just Like a Woman") and playing "Both Sides Now" by Joni Mitchell as the curtain fell and as the audience exited.

Overall, it was a thrilling night of theatre. I was glad to know that Julianne had even attempted this piece (challenging for any actor) and that I had the chance to see it. It wouldn't be my top recommendation to a New York theatregoer, but neither would I discourage someone from going if the play picqued their interest. I think that sometimes critics can be so discouraging toward an attempt at acting for stage so as to scare screen actors and newcomers away. Julianne certainly seemed to be received well by the audience around me, and she deserves to be seen and to continue acting on the stage if she so desires. She hasn't been onstage in quite some time, and this was sort of her return to her roots. I'm sure she'll only improve if she continues to pursue acting for the stage. I know I'd be willing to see her again.

The thing that impressed me most about the technical elements, especially from the second row was the vast and beautiful set by Scott Pask. When the scene shifts from Nadia's office to Wales, the set opens up to reveal a huge open space with chairs and a picnic table and a huge, beautiful tree. I really felt overcome by the massive scrim of color that overtook almost my entire field of vision. It was a very simple design choice but it yielded a very beautiful set, and as the lights (by Brian MacDevitt) changed the setting from day to night, I was just enveloped by the sensation of the shift of moods and the coming on of the "vertical hour," when Nighy and Moore get to the heart of things. The design elements all came together beautifully.

All in all, Hare's script, Nighy's acting, and Scott Pask's sets were the winners of the evening. I recommend it to anyone who wants to see a great piece of writing put up formidably with a combination of star power and top-notch acting.

After the show, I decided I would wait (for the first time this year) at the stage door to try to get an autograph from Julianne and Bill Nighy. Shockingly, there were only about four or five other people waiting for them, and Julianne was one of the most absolutely gracious women I've ever met at any stage door. She borrowed my pen a couple of times and was just wonderfully patient about taking pictures and everything. I very rarely ask for a picture with an actor or actress, as they're almost always in a rush or mobbed with people, but this was just the opportune moment. The picture, as it turns out, came out very well:

Julianne and I

What a wonderful night! This theatre season will be hard to top.

Addendum

Charmin Restrooms...don't miss out on this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Fun=

A little wiggle to the left
A little wiggle to the right
'Cause when I'm close to you
It’s a sheer delight
You’re the soft I seek
When we’re dancing cheek to cheek

Charmin, it's alarmin', Charmin, how charmin' you are
Charmin, Charmin -- OH! -- you're like my shinin' star

A little sa-sa-sachet
A little bump and grind
I hope you don’t mind
That’s how I express
Your special tenderness
Cha-Cha-Cha...Charmin

Since I been gone

An update on Ricky's life, in parts:

Part One: Turkey

Thanksgiving break went well. I visited plenty of family and ate. And played Cranium.

Part Two: Busy, Busy, Busy

Having returned, a harried week lay ahead. On Tuesday, I frantically wrote a paper for my journalism class. I also went to a DramaTalk about Spring Awakening held at Cantor Film Center featuring members of the cast and creative team, all but one of whom were associated with or went to NYU.

Part Three: Dressing for 'Spring'

On Tuesday night, Susan Hilferty, the costume designer for Spring Awakening, hinted that a change in costuming would occur on Wednesday. Curious, I went back for a return visit. This time, I got an onstage ticket. Due to the nature of the staging, the action occurs on a platform in the middle of the stage, with 2-3 rows of audience members to either side who sit alongside some of the performers and the ensemble, who are dressed in contemporary clothing and join the cast for certain songs as "back-up singers," per se. This is vaguely visible to the left of the picture below, though that picture is from the off-Broadway production, so it's a somewhat different arrangement for Broadway.

The experience sitting onstage was much different from seeing the show in the orchestra. Despite the fact that it was cool to be in the middle of the action and sitting next to a lot of the incredible performers, I preferred sitting in the audience. It didn't so much bother me that I saw some of the action from a side or back view, but it was much harder to hear the lyrics and dialogue because the performers were singing out toward the audience and I was sitting too close to the band (especially the drums). All in all, though, it was a worthwhile experience, especially since I was already aware of the plot.

The big costume change that was hinted as was that, during the finale ("The Song of Purple Summer"), the performers used to come out in their period costumes in keeping with the rest of the show, but instead the cast came out that night in contemporary dress to sort of provide a comment as to the relevance of the story to today's society. I wasn't sure (and still am not) what I thought about it -- whether it made the fact that the characters use rock music to express themselves in song more effective or whether I was too distracted by the disconnect between the characters I'd been watching for two and a half hours and these new contemporary cast members who were commenting at the end of the show. At the end of the show, I could see the creative team swarming together at the back of the theatre to discuss what they'd thought of it. I wonder if they'll keep that idea or not.

As a side note, the onstage seats (which formerly could only be purchased at the box office) are now on sale online. More information is available at the official website.

Part Four: Slow Woman Plodding

On Thursday night, I saw Two Trains Running by August Wilson at the Signature Theatre Company as part of my August Wilson class. The play was originally one of my least favorites to read, but it definitely has grown on me. Once you've read the entire 10-play cycle by Wilson, each of the plays feels like an essential piece of the puzzle at least in one way or another.

The production was mostly fine. Frankie Faison and the most of the cast really put in fine performances, but the pacing of the show, directed by Lou Bellamy was saggy. Clocking in at 3 hours and 10 minutes, the show's weak link was January Lavoy (pictured at left), who, playing the sole female role in the play, should be one of the strongest keystones of the cast. As it stands now, her acting choices are spotty at best. Though she is sometimes affecting toward the end of the second act as her character, waitress Risa, softens to some extent from her position as a hardened woman, so afraid of attention that she cuts her legs to make them unattractive, Lavoy makes the choice as an actress to spend the entire length of the play plodding across the stage blankly, click-clacking her heels in a slow and steady rhythm that nearly drove me mad, spitting out lines in a disaffecting manner that seemed more abrasive and harsh than wounded. Reading the play, I've always envisioned her character as undertaking a journey from broken woman to a place where she sees the beginning of the road ahead of her toward happiness, but Ms. Lavoy's interpretation left out the necessary warmth that is necessary to endear her character to an audience. This is most likely a choice that was made by Ms. Lavoy along with the director, so the blame shouldn't fall entirely on her, but I was baffled by how her character was able to bog down the entire show. If she had sped up the pace of her walk, at least 10 to 15 minutes of running time could have been trimmed.

Still, any Wilson play in New York is worthwhile fare, and at $15, you can't beat the price. There are a lot of juicy monologues in the play, and most of the cast was excellent, especially the aforementioned Frankie Faison in the role of restaurant owner Memphis, Arthur French as the wise old man Holloway, and Ron Cephas Jones (who was previously excellent in Satellites at the Public Theater) as numbers-runner Wolf.

Part Five: The Top 3 Artforms

Video games are not one of them. Period.

Part Six: High Octane 'Fidelity'

On Friday night, I went to see High Fidelity with Austin for free through Roundabout. I didn't really know what to expect since I hadn't seen the movie with John Cusack or read the book by Nick Hornby, but I had expected the music to be upbeat and the performances to be top-notch, and that's what I got.

Though in its style it's conspicuously similar to this past spring's The Wedding Singer (also an adaptation of a popular romantic comedy using a contemporary-ish score), I felt it was ultimately more successful. The book, by David Lindsay-Abaire, though sporting a few holes (Rob is hugely unlikeable -- at least in my opinion -- and his change at the end is abrupt and obvious), avoids some of the cloying cliches of The Wedding Singer, and the score, with music by Tom Kitt and lyrics by Amanda Green, manages to be more clever than The Wedding Singer's as well. Curiously, no song list was included in the Playbill, so I can't really expound too well about the various songs. There are also plenty of clever comedic sequences (including one triple-take trash talk sequence done in varying styles) that keep things fresh to the credit of director Walter Bobbie.

At its heart are the two leads -- Rob, played by young Broadway veteran Will Chase, and Laura, played by Jenn Colella (both pictured at right). The two manage to play their characters earnestly and engagingly, surpassing any potholes in the script. Will Chase was a favorite of mine last year in the short-lived Lennon, and here he proves that he can captivate an audience and provide a powerhouse star turn. The audience left mostly humming him, one man even naiively proclaiming that he was destined to win the Tony Award. Nonetheless, these two did a wonderful job selling the material, and Christian Anderson as Dick, Rob's record store pal, provided warm-hearted comedic relief as well in a series of clever little songs.

All in all it was a fun show. It should appeal to tourists and those who want to see a show where the husband/boyfriend can be just as entertained as the wife/girlfriend. Don't go in expecting high art and you should be fine.

Part Seven: A Parade of Plays

As part of an artistic vision she had a few years ago, Suzan-Lori Parks (pictured at left) set out to write 365 plays in 365 days, a goal that she accomplished within the allotted period of time. This year, a vast partnership of theatre companies across the country are banding together through regional centers to present the plays one week at a time. At the Public Theater, the NYC regional flagship company, the First Sundays series presents (on the first Sunday of each month) the previous month's plays performed by the respective theatre companies.

Having read a few of the plays, I wasn't expecting much, but the individual theatre companies were able to add their own touches and give the plays a new life through the tone and approach that isn't there when simply reading the plays on paper. That seems to be an inherent quality in Parks's work. Some of the plays are better than others and some of the theatre companies were better than others, but all in all, it was an interesting experiment in theatre, and, since the First Sunday presentations are free, they're worth checking out. Reservations can be made using the instructions at the Public Theater website. The next First Sunday is a presentation of the December plays on January 7th.