Fall Broadway Preview...Part II

[skynyc]

Here are the announced openings and my annotations for Broadway for the rest of the fall. I do this every year for my friends who live out of state in an attempt to lure them to visit. Am considering doing an Off-Broadway edition this year, because more and more, that is where I have been spending my theater dollar.

 

Only 7 shows have been mentioned to open in November and December...

 

The first is Women of the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. I am really anticipating this as I love the movie that is the source material and it is going to star a slew of great Broadway talent: Patti LuPone, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Laura Benanti, Danny Berstein, De'Andra Aziza (who was Tony nominated for Passing Strange), Sherie Rene Scott, Mary Beth Piel and Justin Guarini (Kelly Clarkson's runner-up on AI). And the creative staff included Jeffrey Lane and Dave Yazbeck who were responsible for two of contemporary Broadway's most-underrated musicals: Dirty Rotten Scoundrels and The Full Monty. The scores for both these shows are complex and interesting and yet very accessible. I do hope that this is the year that these folks will get their do. This is playing at the Belasco, but is part of the Lincoln Center Theater season.

 

Unchain My Heart is a Ray Charles and is announced for the Barrymore, but the schedule has been waffling. This may end up as a spring opener. It is based on his life and music, and features Brandon Victor Dixon who was stunning in The Scottsboro Boys off-Broadway, (and got a Tony nomination for The Color Purple). I understand this to be a look at Charles' life and not just a jukebox/concert show.

 

Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice with Al Pacino as Shylock, which began this summer in Central Park and had people lining up at 5 a.m. for free tickets is transferring to the Broadhurst. No free tickets here. And having missed it at the Delacorte, I am looking forward to it. Merchant was my first professional Shakespeare experience, having seen it in Chicago while in college with a riveting Geraldine James as Portia. (I was very pleased to see her again last season as Gertrude in Jude Law's Hamlet.)

 

Okay...guilty pleasure coming next. Pee-Wee's Playhouse will play a limited run at the newly-named Stephen Sondheim, (the Henry Miller.) Remember "Larry" Fishburne as Cowboy Curtis? Or S. Epatha Merkerson as Reba the Mail Lady? While neither of these esteemed performers will be returning, happily it has just been announced that the original Miss Yvonne (Lynne Marie Stewar) and Jambi (John Paragon) are members of the cast. I will admit that I am eagerly looking forward to this...the VHS tape of Pee-Wee's Christmas special is right up there for me with Charlie Brown Christmas and The House without a Christmas Tree.

 

In the vein of Christmas Carol, or the more recent Grinch Musical, this year's family holiday offering is Elf, based on the Will Farrell movie. The pedigree for the creative staff is strong...score by Matthew Sklar and Chad Beguilen (The Wedding Singer) and book by Bob Martin (Drowsy Chaperone) and Thomas Meehan (Annie, Hairspray, etc.) It will star Beth Leavel, who was sensational as the Drowsy Chaperone, among other great roles. And also features George Wendt of Cheers fame as Santa. Much as I love Leavel...to get me into a theater of screaming kids, it's going to take a real cheap ticket and couple of cocktails.

 

A Free Man of Color will replace the recently departed South Pacific at the Vivian Beaumont and it couldn't be more different. This new work by John Guare tells the story of a wealthy and independant "Free Man of Color" in New Orleans in 1801. You can guess where this is going to go.... It will star Jeffrey Wright who won the Tony for his portrayal of Belize in Angels in America.

 

And the much-talked about Spiderman Turn Off the Dark will be the final offering of the calendar year. It looks like it's going to happen. Anyone who follows the Broadway scene has heard of the enormous expense which has caused delay after delay...as the theater was apparently gutted to allow fittings to be installed so Spidey could move like Spidey should move. The pundits and nay-sayers have been raising eyebrows for a long time over this one, but if anyone can make this work, it will be Julie Taymor. And I have heard from a couple reliable sources that the score by Bono is pretty terrific. Reeve Carney is a rock-n-roll guy and newcomer to the NY theater scene, but he will be Peter/Spiderman. But he will be supported by Jennifer Damiano (the original daughter in Next to Normal) as Mary Jane and the marvelous Patrick Page as The Green Goblin. As the most expensive Broadway show in history, this will get lots of attention. Should be interesting....

 

Thanks for indulging my hobby, folks. Hope to see you in the mezzanine.

[NYTomcat]

Fyi sky. I dont get into the theater as much as I used to but just wanted to say thank you for the work on these. I've been reading them and salivating.

[uwsman2]

Really looking forward to Women on the Verge.... have tickets to see it shortly after opening. The NY Times whetted the appetite with a feature about the theater - the Belasco - which has been thoroughly restored to its original splendor in anticipation of this new production.

[Guest alanm]

Am correct in writing that there are no musical revivals scheduled for the first half of the Broadway season?

 

I am looking forward to a new musical that I can get discount tickets for, which may eventually happen with Women on the Verge, doubtful for "Spiderman."

 

I am a little down right this morning after seeing "A Little Night Music" a few days ago. Stritch and Peters, whom I really liked in July seem to be adding "improvement," Stritch especially. Elaine is playing nearly every word for a laugh.

 

Thanks for the list. It's extremely helpful.

[Guest alanm]

Link to what's happening off-Broadway: http://www.playbill.com/news/article/142595-FALL-2010-OFF-BROADWAY-SEASON-PREVIEW-As-Good-As-It-Gatz/pg2

 

My best theater experience last season was "A Streetcar Names Desire" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, so do not forget BAM as well.

[skynyc]

Hi alanm

 

You are correct in that there are no musical revivals this fall. In fact, until this week, there were only two announced for the whole season. How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying starring Harry Potter, I mean Daniel Radcliffe, and Anything Goes starring Sutton Foster.

 

As for the former, I think Radcliffe, could be perfect in the role. J. Pierpont Finch's songs aren't that demanding, but are fun...(Robert Morse wasn't a great singer, but performed the songs perfectly, ditto Matthew Broderick.) And as displayed in Equus, I think Radcliffe is quite a talent and apparently has been studying dance and singing quite diligently in order to do this role.

 

As for Anything Goes...this is from the Roundabout, and if they blow it out with a big full-scale revival, with a good orchestra and a large chorus a la The Pajama Game it could be very successful. However, if they decide to do it on the cheap, like Bye Bye Birdie...it could be a huge disappointment. I want to see Sutton's Reno Sweeney dancing with a whole passel of angels and sailors.

 

I haven't seen additional casting for either show...but there are definitely plum roles in both.

 

And then, last week, it was announced the Godspell will be returning as well. This will probably be some version of the production that ran at Paper Mill several years ago and was pretty great. It was actually in rehearsal a couple of years ago when the Public's production of Hair announced it's transfer from Central Park. The producer's of Godspell got cold feet about competing with that highly-acclaimed, comparatively similar show, so they called it off and sent the performers packing. Interestingly, Gavin Creel who was playing Jesus in Godspell then, was hired to replace Jonathan Groff as Claude in Hair, and received a Tony nomination in that role.

 

With the musical revival catagory so slim this year, I imagine producers will be watching reviews and buzz on these three shows very closely, with thoughts of putting a smaller revival up at the eleventh hour to hopefully scoop up a Tony. Of course, this will also depend on a theater being available to put it IN.

[skynyc]

A show was added for November after I wrote this...Elling, a play about two residents of a mental institution who with the help of an aide get an apartment together. The play ran in London to good reviews, but the reason to add this to your list is the cast. Mummy movie franchise hunk Brendan Fraser will be making his NY theatrical debut, supported by some of the theater's best: Dennis O'Hare (recently on True Blood) and Richard Easton (who is amazing in everything). And Jennifer Coolidge (from Mighty Wind, et al) will be playing Fraser's girlfriend. Sounds a little like Boys Next Door about a bunch of men in a halfway house. This is being directed by Doug Hughes, who directed Doubt on Broadway, and will play at the Barrymore.

[skynyc]

Little Night/Women on the Verge

 

Alanm,

So sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy LNM the second time...I am seeing it again in a couple weeks, and am looking forward to it...the last time I saw it, Stritch wasn't hamming, she was forgetting.

As for Women on the Verge...I just got an offer in the mail...30% off tickets through 11/11 if you order before 11/4.

Write me offline and I will send you the code. By the way, watched the movie last night...very funny, but very convoluted plot...cannot wait to see how they do it on stage.

[Guest alanm]

Alanm,

So sorry to hear that you didn't enjoy LNM the second time...I am seeing it again in a couple weeks, and am looking forward to it...the last time I saw it, Stritch wasn't hamming, she was forgetting.

 

The first time I saw ALNM (July 21) was apparently one of the first time Peters and Stritch knew their lines and gave wonderful performances. By last wek both actresses had settled into their respective roles. While I would not say they were "walking through the performances," there was a touch of it. I shall be interest to read your thoughts. I still prefer the replacement ladies to Zeta-Jones, and especially Lansbury. But, I am now ALNMed out.

[edjames]

Alanm,

As for Women on the Verge...I just got an offer in the mail...30% off tickets through 11/11 if you order before 11/4.

Write me offline and I will send you the code. By the way, watched the movie last night...very funny, but very convoluted plot...cannot wait to see how they do it on stage.

 

Woman On The Verge.. is a hot Broadway ticket right now. Lincoln Center subscribers scooped up the initial seats and the discount offering has made this show an almost sold-out event, at least for the first several months. Many nights are already sold out. If word of mouth and the reviews are positive, it should continue to do good box office business. Fingers crossed! I am seeing it in a few weeks.

 

ED