foxy

The opera yesterday was wonderful. Anthony Roth Costanzo who sings the lead role of Akhnaten has received quite a bit of press. Almost every article has discussed his 5 minute nude scene as he makes his entrance. I’m sure there were quite a few people yesterday who picked up their opera glasses at that point. I admit I did. He’s a countertenor which is not everyone’s favorite but I’ve come to enjoy the sound. But roles for that voice are somewhat limited so he’s been involved in many projects beyond singing. A very interesting guy and he’s openly gay which is a plus in my book. There are a number of interviews with him on YouTube worth watching.

I saw parts 1 & 2 last Wednesday. The play is so good that time passed quickly. Having lived in the city from 1973 to 1985 it was like stepping into a time machine. I was there, I saw it happening. A lot of the play was very funny. But a lot will hurt so be prepared. As for tickets I paid full price for row C of the orchestra and was glad to be sitting close to the action. But it’s been listed at TKTS for half price almost every day and occasionally on tdf. I’m tempted to see it again. Also I’ve rewatched the film Howard’s End to see how it inspired the play. I should read the book next.

Saw Little Shop of Horrors yesterday’s Sunday matinee. Great show, great cast highly recommended even if you’ve seen other productions. Special applause must go to the 3 urchins, Ari Groover, Salome Smith and Joy Woods who kept the energy so high. I was in the second row center and Jonathan Groff sure is a spitter. He just missed me at times. But if you’re going to get spit on, well, he’s my guy.

Saw Little Shop of Horrors yesterday’s Sunday matinee. Great show, great cast highly recommended even if you’ve seen other productions. Special applause must go to the 3 urchins, Ari Groover, Salome Smith and Joy Woods who kept the energy so high. I was in the second row center and Jonathan Groff sure is a spitter. He just missed me at times. But if you’re going to get spit on, well, he’s my guy.

Regarding Marlene Dietrich. I recently returned from 10 days in Berlin. The deutcsche-kinemathek.de The Museum of Film and Television is highly recommended and has a large collection of Dietrich’s costumes, props, personal letters, recordings and films. Even the saw she used to play. Who knew she played the saw?
I watched Shanghai Express while there and really enjoyed it. She seems to have slept with almost everyone famous.

To be honest I go more for the visuals but having listened to the score of Akhnaten I felt I just had to experience the whole thing live. I imagine I’ll be crawling out of the opera house totally drained.

I saw the original production in 1982 at the Orpheum Theater and loved the show. Ellen Greene was so wonderful. I saw a revival in 2003 with Hunter Foster. At that performance they were taking donations for Broadway Cares. For a $20 donation I had my photo taken with Foster which I’m pleased to say I still have. I’m sorry I missed the Encores production with Ellen Greene and Jake Gyllenhaal. In 2017 I saw Once on This Island. As the lights were going down two men came into my aisle and sat next to me. One was Jonathan Groff. As they squeezed by me I made a joke about “tourists” showing up late for a show. Groff responded about being “bridge & tunnel”. He was very enthusiastic during the show. As we were exiting the theater I was walking next to him. I rarely engage famous people thinking they deserve their privacy. But I had just finished binge watching Mindhunter and I told him how much I liked it and was looking forward to a second season. He was very charming and we had a short conversation. In the lobby a few people went up to speak to him and he was very approachable. He’s such a talented guy and really handsome in person. I have my ticket for this new production. I’m sure it will be good.

Last nights performance was truly magical. The singers and orchestra were of course terrific and the music, well, it’s Mozart. Can’t really go wrong there.
But the interaction of the performers and the animation was quite incredible. It was a roller coaster ride of pure fun from beginning to end. I’m hoping this production will be constantly revived as it’s something I’d want to see over and over again. Certainly the best show I’ve seen all year.

Last nights performance was truly magical. The singers and orchestra were of course terrific and the music, well, it’s Mozart. Can’t really go wrong there.
But the interaction of the performers and the animation was quite incredible. It was a roller coaster ride of pure fun from beginning to end. I’m hoping this production will be constantly revived as it’s something I’d want to see over and over again. Certainly the best show I’ve seen all year.

I don't go to a lot of operas but this one seemed too good to pass up. Seeing it Friday night.
 
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/07/18/.../review-mozart-magic-flute-lincoln-center.html

Usually with musical comedies I smile. With Tootsie I laughed. A terrific show.

Last night I binge watched the first 4 episodes of Fosse/Verdon. It’s very, very good. Michelle Williams is a total reincarnation of Gwen Verdon. And thanks to Benjamin’s recommendation I just ordered the book Fosse which is already a page turner.

Last night I binge watched the first 4 episodes of Fosse/Verdon. It’s very, very good. Michelle Williams is a total reincarnation of Gwen Verdon. And thanks to Benjamin’s recommendation I just ordered the book Fosse which is already a page turner.

Funnily enough, after reading this review I’m tempted to see the show again. It’s so peculiar. I don’t think it will last long but I don’t think we’ve seen the last of it. I think it could get cult status.

For some reason I keep thinking of “Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers.

For some reason I keep thinking of “Springtime for Hitler” from The Producers.

If you’ve ever seen the show you mostly know what you’re going to get which is just fun. Every year they tweak the show a bit but wisely keep the Rockettes as the main attraction. The toy soldier routine with the cannon never gets old. The first time I saw the nativity scene ending I was probably 7 years old. It’s the same, live camels and all.
I still get a rush when I enter this Art Deco gem of a building. Plus the mighty Wurlitzer shaking the rafters. You can’t really go wrong. Tickets are easy to get.

A friend of mine recently returned from London saw this play and she raved about how brilliant she thought it was. Here's hoping it will transfer to Broadway.
 
https://variety.com/2018/legit/reviews/the-inheritance-review-play-1202739184/

‘The Inheritance’ Review: Stephen Daldry Directs Matthew Lopez’s Play – Variety
“The Inheritance" is a vast, imperfect and unweildy masterpiece that unpicks queer politics and neoliberal economics anew.
variety.com
 
https://www.yesbroadway.com/content/theinheritance
http://static1.squarespace.com/static/58322a2d579fb38c571815d3/59e4c405b1ffb682d1027b08/5af9ac6a8a922d061762d01e/1528724129135/Samuel+H.+Levine+and+Andrew+Burnap+in+The+Inheritance+at+the+Young+Vic+%C2%A9Simon+Annand%283%29.jpg?format=1000w
London: The Inheritance — YesBroadway
Photos: Simon Annand. It clocks in at just over 6.5 hours, but the play (especially Part 1) rarely feels as long as that thanks to a fantastic mix of comedy and drama — you’re basically dared not to bawl at the end of the first part.
www.yesbroadway.com

Those photos were from the incredibly funny play Vanya and Sonia and Masha and Spike. Billy played Spike. It takes a very smart actor to play dumb and with a great cast including Sigourney Weaver, David Hyde Pierce and Kristine Weaver, Billy was in many ways the highlight of the show. Maybe the fact that he’s a real hunk made him stand out for me. Also in the movie version of Into the Woods, Billy sang Agony with Chris Pine. The two of them were hysterically funny. If you haven’t seen the movie I’d highly recommend it.

Well there’s Falsettos. Not sure if that meets your criteria.

For those in the NYC area Lucas Hedges is now appearing in The Waverly Gallery. It’s always interesting to see a screen actor appearing live on stage. Not all of them can do it. Apples and oranges. But Hedges did a great job in a play whose character is in many ways the pivotal role.

Anyone who follows theater probably knows some of the history of this show that originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. While not a flop exactly it's been hard, slow transition to Broadway. So is it worth the time and money to see it? Maybe. Let's face it, it was a crazy idea in the first place.
I've always been a fan of the original 1933 movie. No one could scream quite like Fay Wray. I've never been a big fan of all the remakes despite the cgi.
Sometimes overlooked is the incredible score of the original movie by Max Steiner. I have a vinyl recording of just the score and I think it's a wonderful piece of orchestral music. I wish there would be a concert performance some day.
So the main reason to see the show is the big 20 foot 2,000 pound puppet. It's impressive to say the least.
The large crew of puppeteers, which you can see but often don't notice does an amazing job bringing the creature to life.
So that's a big plus. The sets which use a lot of sepia toned moving projections are quite beautiful at times recreating a New York cityscape of the '30's. There are exciting uses of lasers shooting beams across the stage that are impressive.
There's a big cast of mostly male dancers performing very athletic choreography.
Those are the good parts of the show.
The music is forgettable. Not one interesting song I can think of. You won't walk out humming any of these tunes.
The 3 leads are Eric William Morris as Carl Denham who has a rather annoying nasal quality to his voice. Eric Lochtefeld as a character called Lumpy who I suppose is the nice guy comic relief and the foil for the not so nice Carl Denham and Christiani Pitts as Ann Darrow, Kong's love interest.
I really wanted to like her. She tried hard to do something with the lackluster tunes she was given to sing. I kept thinking had she been on American Idol she may have been a 3rd place winner. I hope after this show closes something better will come along for her.
The audience seemed to like the show but I doubt if any of the investors are going to make a profit. See it if you can get a discount seat. I think there will be plenty of them.

Anyone who follows theater probably knows some of the history of this show that originated in Melbourne, Australia in 2013. While not a flop exactly it's been hard, slow transition to Broadway. So is it worth the time and money to see it? Maybe. Let's face it, it was a crazy idea in the first place.
I've always been a fan of the original 1933 movie. No one could scream quite like Fay Wray. I've never been a big fan of all the remakes despite the cgi.
Sometimes overlooked is the incredible score of the original movie by Max Steiner. I have a vinyl recording of just the score and I think it's a wonderful piece of orchestral music. I wish there would be a concert performance some day.
So the main reason to see the show is the big 20 foot 2,000 pound puppet. It's impressive to say the least.
The large crew of puppeteers, which you can see but often don't notice does an amazing job bringing the creature to life.
So that's a big plus. The sets which use a lot of sepia toned moving projections are quite beautiful at times recreating a New York cityscape of the '30's. There are exciting uses of lasers shooting beams across the stage that are impressive.
There's a big cast of mostly male dancers performing very athletic choreography.
Those are the good parts of the show.
The music is forgettable. Not one interesting song I can think of. You won't walk out humming any of these tunes.
The 3 leads are Eric William Morris as Carl Denham who has a rather annoying nasal quality to his voice. Eric Lochtefeld as a character called Lumpy who I suppose is the nice guy comic relief and the foil for the not so nice Carl Denham and Christiani Pitts as Ann Darrow, Kong's love interest.
I really wanted to like her. She tried hard to do something with the lackluster tunes she was given to sing. I kept thinking had she been on American Idol she may have been a 3rd place winner. I hope after this show closes something better will come along for her.
The audience seemed to like the show but I doubt if any of the investors are going to make a profit. See it if you can get a discount seat. I think there will be plenty of them.

For those in the NYC area Lucas Hedges is now appearing in The Waverly Gallery. It’s always interesting to see a screen actor appearing live on stage. Not all of them can do it. Apples and oranges. But Hedges did a great job in a play whose character is in many ways the pivotal role.