Broadway tour of "Chicago" at the Orpheum Theatre

I hadn't seen the Broadway tour of Chicago since 2018 (and Theater Latte Da's brilliant production in 2019), and I have to admit, I forgot just how good it is. There's a reason this revival is the longest currently running Broadway musical, marking its 30th anniversary this year. The clever and jazzy score by the genius team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse's iconic and positively thrilling choreography (reinterpreted by Ann Reinking for the 1996 revival, in which she also played Roxie), the ever more timely book (by Ebb and Fosse) that shines a harsh light on our culture's obsession with violence and celebrity, the incorporation of the onstage band into the story, and the seemingly endless supply of gorgeous and talented actor/dancer/singers who don't just inhabit these now familiar characters, they make them their own. If it's been a while since you, too, have seen Chicago, or you have (gasp!) never seen it, now (meaning this week only) is the time. Chicago never gets old.*

"Kiss of the Spiderwoman" by Teatro del Pueblo at the Southern Theater

The 1993 Tony-winning best musical Kiss of the Spider Woman, with music and lyrics by Kander and Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret) and book by playwright Terrance McNally, was just made into a movie starring Jennifer Lopez. What's better than seeing an acclaimed musical on the screen? Seeing it live on stage! And now finally I had the opportunity to see this rarely done musical, thanks to Teatro del Pueblo. I don't know if the timing with the movie was intentional or coincidental, but this story of two men imprisoned by a fascist regime, one of them escaping into the fantasy world of his beloved movies, couldn't come at a better time. Featuring a talented cast and impressive design in the gorgeous Southern Theater, this is a rare opportunity to see Kiss of the Spider Woman live on stage as it was meant to be, and "celebrate Latine voices, queer identity, and the power of resilience!" Continuing through November 23 only.

NYC Theater Trip 2023: "New York, New York" at St. James Theatre

Show*: 6

Title: New York, New York

Location: St. James Theatre

Written By: book by David Thompson and Sharon Washington, music and lyrics by Kander and Ebb, additional lyrics by Lin-Manual Miranda

Summary: An adaptation of the 1977 movie about two struggling musicians in NYC (played by Liza Minnelli and Robert De Niro) for which the inconic song was written, with new songs, characters, and plots added.

Highlights: This is another movie I've never seen (which I don't think is uncommon); in fact I had no idea that the song so identified with Frank Sinatra was actually written for Liza Minnelli to sing in this movie. From what I hear, this one was changed a lot, and I think too many things were added. In addition to the central love story, which is compelling if a bit cliche, there's an added element of an interracial relationship, a Holocaust survivor, a mother waiting for her POW son to return (spoiler alert that's no surprise - he doesn't), a Cuban immigrant with an abusive father (who may also be gay), and more. I saw the show in previews, so it's possible they'll tighten things up before the April 26 opening, but right now it comes off as trying to do too much with too heavy a hand. But there are some great moments. Director/choreographer Susan Stroman evokes classic musicals like On the Town in her dance montages of NYC, and there's a tap dance number done on scaffolding high above the city that's a thrill. I enjoyed the mostly new score, and the cast is fantastic. Another SIX queen, Anna Uzele, makes the most of the lead role of Francine; Colton Ryan is a charming Jimmy, with more than a little Frank in his voice, but his own interesting delivery of lyrics; and Clyde Alves is a terrific dancer and sidekick as Jimmy's pal Tommy. The set is stunning (in what I heard may be the most expensive production design ever on Broadway) - multiple massive moving three-story structures representing apartment buildings with balconies and fire escapes, absolutely gorgeous recreations of many iconic NYC landmarks using lighting and backdrops, and an orchestra pit that rises up to take center stage in the final number. And that final number? The title song, of course. And the thrill of belting out "If I can make it there, I'll make it anywhere, come on come through, New York, New York!" with the cast, band, and a full theater, almost makes up for what the show may be lacking. There's a great musical in there, if they can carve away the extra stuff to reveal it.

*Once again, I'm using an abbreviated Fringe-style summary for my NYC 2023 trip, since I am in the greatest city in the world with much more exciting things to do than write! Click here to see all of my Broadway-related blog posts.

"Chicago" Broadway tour at the Orpheum Theatre

I have to admit, when I saw Chicago on the 2017-2018 Hennepin Theatre Trust tour schedule, I was not excited. It's made the rounds many times in the last 20 years, and I'd rather see something new (like The Band's Visit, please!). But as the date rolled around, I realized I hadn't seen Chicago in six years. And since the 1996 revival is currently the second longest running musical on Broadway, it's not likely to be released for regional productions anytime soon, so the tour is my only chance to see it. I went to opening night, and I loved every minute of it. It's been a long time since I've even listed to the score, so I forgot what an all-around brilliant show this is. The clever and jazzy score by the genius team of John Kander and Fred Ebb, Bob Fosse's iconic and positively thrilling choreography (reinterpreted by Ann Reinking for the 1996 revival, in which she also played Roxie), the ever more timely book (by Ebb and Fosse) that shines a harsh light on our culture's obsession with violence and celebrity, the incorporation of the 14-person onstage band into the story, and the seemingly endless supply of gorgeous and talented actor/dancer/singers who can not just inhabit these now familiar characters, but make them their own. If it's been a while since you, too, have seen Chicago, or you have (gasp!) never seen it, now (meaning this week only) is the time. Chicago never gets old.

"The Rink" at Daleko Arts

This was my weekend for seeing rarely produced musical theater gems. First I saw a charming production of 110 in the Shade at Theatre in the Round in Minneapolis, then I headed down to the very southern edge of the seven-county metro area to see the Kander and Ebb musical The Rink at Daleko Arts in New Prague. I found both of these musicals to be really great and I don't understand why they're not produced more, but I'm grateful for the wonderful Twin Cities (and beyond) theater community for giving me the chance to experience shows like this. On my second visit to Daleko Arts I continue to be impressed with the work that they do in the tiny Prague Theater on charming Main Street in New Prague. Part of Daleko's mission is to "help decentralize professional theatre in Minnesota," a mission that I support in theory but in practice is a bit challenging; I'd like to see all of their shows but the distance can be prohibitive. But if you live in the Southern Metro, or don't mind a road trip through some of the prettiest country in Minnesota (I may be biased because I grew up in the area), Daleko should definitely be on your radar as a destination for quality theater that includes classics, new works, and interesting unexpected choices like The Rink.

"And the World Goes 'Round" at Jungle Theater

Legendary musical theater composing duo John Kander and Fred Ebb wrote over a dozen musicals for the American stage, from their early success Cabaret in the 1960s, through their final collaboration Scottsboro Boys, premiering after Ebb's death (with a pre-Broadway engagement at our own Guthrie Theater). And the World Goes 'Round, now playing at the Jungle Theater, is a musical revue of their songs, taking its title from the movie New York, New York. Surprisingly, I've only see four of their shows (including their two most recent ones which are not in this collection), so many of the songs were new to me. It was a delight to hear the work of this talented composing team performed by a fantastic cast of seven.

There's very little dialogue or context for the songs, just one hit after another. Director John Command notes in the playbill that he learned from Liza Minnelli (Kander and Ebb's muse) "to perform every song as if it were 'a one-act play!'" He accomplishes that here, as each song tells a story, whether funny or tragic, and makes me want to see the full musicals from which they came.

the cast of And the World Goes 'Round
(photo by Michel Daniel)

Music director extraordinaire Raymond Berg leads an onstage six-piece band that sounds impossibly smooth. The whole show has a bit of a swanky, jazzy feel, including Bain Boehlke's rich set design and the choreography that's reminiscent of the original shows. The talented cast includes Bradley Greenwald (who memorably played the Emcee in Frank Theater's gloriously seedy production of Cabaret four years ago), Tiffany Seymour, Jon Whittier, Therese Walth, William Gilness, Emily Rose Skinner, and Betti Battocletti.

Highlights include:

• The title song, which is nicely woven throughout the show and occasionally serves as transitions between songs.
• A super high energy performance of the song "Coffee in a Cardboard Cup*," a song I love but didn't know it was Kander and Ebb!
• All of the Chicago songs, including and especially "All That Jazz."
• Mournful love songs were paired together and a bit overlapped, including Bradley and Bill singing "I Don't Remember You" and "Sometimes a Day Goes By," and Jon, Therese, and Emily singing "We Can Make It," "Maybe This Time," and "Isn't This Better!"
• A rousing Act I ending number "Life Is" from Zorba, which continues "what you do when you're waiting to die, life is how the time goes by!"
• Bradley's delicious performance of the title song from Kiss of the Spider Woman (calling local musical theater companies - please stage this show and cast Bradely as the lead!).
• A very funny double duet of "The Grass is Always Greener" from Woman of the Year by Tiffany, Emily, Bill, and Bradley.
• A super jazzy version of "Cabaret" featuring the entire company, unlike I've ever heard it sung before.

And the World Goes 'Round is a cleverly staged homage to two of our greatest musical theater composers, beautifully performed by cast and band - a perfectly pleasant evening of musical theater (continuing at the Jungle through May 24).


*You can get Dunn Brothers coffee in a cardboard cup at the concession stand for only a dollar - best coffee deal in town!

"Cabaret" by Roundabout Theatre Company at Studio 54 on Broadway

Even though I recently saw a nearly perfect production of the brilliant classic musical Cabaret by Theater Latte Da (twice), I couldn't pass up the opportunity to see Alan Cumming reprise his role as the Emcee at Studio 54. And even though this is the fifth production I've seen in less than four years, there really is no limit to the number of times I will see Cabaret on stage (eight and counting - the most I've seen any musical on stage other than my favorite RENT). And it was, of course, one of those unforgettable theater experiences.

This is my fifth time writing about Cabaret on Cherry and Spoon, a record for this blog, so there's not much that I can say about it that I haven't already said. You can read my full thoughts on this genius musical here, but suffice it to say that Kander and Ebb's Cabaret is one of the best musicals ever written. Not only is it wildly entertaining with a fantastic score, but it actually means something. It's a timeless piece about the horrors of the Holocaust specifically, and genocide, intolerance, oppression, and hate in general, issues that are sadly as relevant today as they were in 1930s Berlin and 1960s America. That being said, I'll focus the rest of this blog post on the specifics of this legendary production (which officially opens on April 24 and is scheduled to run through August).

Alan Cumming's iconic Emcee

When you think about actors who've played the Emcee in Cabaret, two immediately come to mind - Joel Grey, who originated the role in the 1966 Broadway production and the 1972 movie, and Alan Cumming, who redefined it for a new generation in the 1993 London and 1998 Broadway Sam Mendes-directed productions. The Broadway revival ran for six years and became fodder for stunt casting, with some notable actors playing the role, but there's no one like the original. Alan has been playing this role for over twenty years, and it shows. He's so comfortable in his role, it oozes out of every pore. He just is, effortlessly, the Emcee, whether performing at center stage, walking through the audience and flirting with the crowd, or silently sitting on stage and observing. It's a beautiful thing to see a performer in a role with which he is so identified and in which he is so at home.

Other than Alan's incomparable performance, highlights of this production include:

• The look of Studio 54 is perfect, the entire first floor seating consists of cabaret tables with a red lamp on each that lights, dims, and darkens on cue. Ushers and waiters are dressed as if they're part of the show. The small bare stage has three doors at the back and spiral staircases leading up to the second level, where the band sits behind a large frame.
• The Kit Kat boys and girls double as orchestra members, and are as talented as they are gorgeous.
• Film actor Michelle Williams is a fine Sally Bowles, but she's a little too polished and precise next to Alan's organic ease of being. This being previews, she has time to loosen up into the role.
• One of our Broadway faves Danny Burstein (from South Pacific and Follies) is the best Herr Schultz I've seen, despite being too young and singing too pretty for the role. Linda Emond, who appeared at the Guthrie a few years ago in Tony Kushner's Intelligent Homosexual's Guide..., is also wonderful as Fraulein Schneider (although she's no Sally Wingert).

Since I missed him the first time around, I'm so grateful I was able to see Alan Cumming in this iconic role. Just one of the highlights of this incredible week of NYC theater.

"Cabaret" at Bloomington Civic Theatre

This is the third local production I've seen of Cabaret in the last two years (the others were by Frank Theatre and Lyric Arts), and I couldn't be happier about the repetition. I love Cabaret because it's wildly entertaining and fun, featuring a fabulous Kander and Ebb score, but has a dark undercurrent of the impending doom that is the Nazi party coming to power in 1930s Germany. It's a fun musical that also has depth. Cabaret is all about living this crazy life to the fullest, because it could be gone tomorrow. Director and choreographer Joe Chvala writes in the program, "our production celebrates the resistance to tyranny and the desire to be open to life's strange, wonderful and all-too-quickly-gone beauty." In this colorful production with an expansive and energetic cast, a full musical sound, several big dance numbers, and an incredible set, that objective is decidedly accomplished.

A few things noteworthy things about the show:

• The Emcee of the Kit Kat Klub serves as the audience's guide to this world, and Joey Clark smoothly steps into the role after playing a Cabaret boy in  Frank Theatre's magnificent production two years ago. He's an approachable and entertaining host (and also appropriately hosted the post-show talk-back on the day I attended).
• BCT newcomer Abby Desanto is a delightful Sally Bowles, full of life and passion. Bryan Porter is completely genuine in his portrayal of Cliff, and makes him relatable and sympathetic. Both have pleasant voices, and they share a believable chemistry.
• Due to a very last-minute illness, Colleen Somerville heroically stepped into the role of Fraulein Schneider and performed beautifully. She had a script in front of her for several scenes and a few songs, and though the words might not have always been on the tip of her tongue, that didn't stop her from conveying the complex emotions of the character. Kudos to the entire cast and crew who scrambled to make the necessary changes to accommodate the illness, and managed to make all look effortless.
• This may be the most remarkable set of all the remarkable sets I've seen at BCT (by resident set designer Robin McIntyre). Huge moving parts that represent the exterior and interior of dingy city buildings, with the names of real Berlin nightclubs adorning the walls in lights (Cozy Corner, Resi, Eldorado, Stork's Nest, Monikel). It's a nice touch of reality and an homage to that crazy beautiful city of Berlin.
• This production is a little bit cleaner and tamer than others I've seen and heard, but that's understandable considering the suburban community theater audience. Joey explained in the talk-back that it's just, well, different than what you might see in New York City or even Minneapolis. I get that and respect it; what's most important is that the intent of the piece remains intact.
• This seems to be much closer to the original 1966 Broadway production rather than the 1972 movie or the 1998 revival (the soundtrack I'm familiar with), so don't expect to hear "Maybe This Time" or "Money." But we do get the fun "Telephone Song" and the sweet love song "Why Should I Wake Up."
• While I missed the onstage band ("even the orchestra is bee-utiful!"), I can't really argue with a 20-piece pit orchestra and the full sound it gives. Musical Director Anita Ruth has taken a much-deserved vacation and seamlessly handed the baton to Eric Sayre, and while hidden the pit, they do indeed sound "bee-utiful!"
• Last but definitely not least, Joe Chvala has choreographed some pretty spectacular dance numbers, including a kickline, party scenes, and a dancing gorilla. And the talented ensemble pulls it off (seemingly) effortlessly.

At the beginning of Cabaret, the Emcee invites the audience to "leave your troubles outside" and enter the world of the Kit Kat Klub for a few hours. It's an excellent suggestion and a wonderful place to do just that; in fact, it may even get you thinking about troubles much larger than your own. (Playing now through February 17.)

"Chicago" at the Ordway Center

I love a Kander and Ebb musical. Great songs that are endlessly singable (and danceable), a fun and entertaining show, and social commentary on some issue that always seems relevant, no matter how long ago the show was written. In this case, Chicago, now on tour at the Ordway in St. Paul, first appeared on Broadway in 1975, but its commentary on our celebrity and violence obsessed culture has only become more true in the 35 years since it opened. Maybe that's why the 1996 revival is more successful than the original; it's still running on Broadway and is one of the longest running shows in history. I've seen the show four times now, and it's always great. While there's nothing new or different about this touring production (it's the same Broadway revival production that's been touring for years), the cast is fantastic and the show is, as always, spectacular.

Chicago takes place in the 1920s and features two women who are in prison awaiting trial for murder. They are, of course, celebrities, and they use that celebrity to their advantage in the courtroom. America loves a true crime story and a public trial, something that was equally true in the '20s when newspapers were the form of media, and today with the prevalence of "Court TV." Roxie and Velma compete for the spotlight and for the attention of their lawyer Billy Flynn, who will defend anyone for 5000 dollars. In the end they realize that joining forces will get them further than competing with each other, as they take their act to Vaudeville.

I'm not a fan of stunt casting (i.e., casting a big name TV star to sell more tickets, something that long-running shows like Chicago fall victim to), so I was a little leery of "starring John O'Hurley as Billy Flynn." (You know John O'Hurley - J. Peterman from Seinfeld.) But he quickly won me over. We know from Seinfeld he's a great comedic actor, but he's also a "self-taught pianist and classically trained vocalist." Combine those two parts and he's an excellent Billy Flynn, the loveable razzle-dazzler. But of course, the women are the star of this show. Terra C. MacLeod is the perfect Velma, the more experienced and jaded murderess, and Tracy Shayne is also great as the ingenue murderess Roxie, who soon learns how to work the system. Both women have played their roles on Broadway, and their experience and comfort with their characters shows. Ron Orbach also has a long history playing Roxie's nebbish husband Amos, and is delightful especially in his big number "Mr. Cellophane." I saw an understudy for Mama Morton, Kecia Lewis-Evans, and she's great with an amazing range. R. Lowe also deserves a mention as the reporter who isn't quite what she seems - an incredibly voice played for laughs, even moreso when her true nature is revealed (and no it's not Rob Lowe). All of the women and men in the ensemble are fantastic, and beautifully and crisply perform the Fosse-inspired choreography.

If you've never seen Chicago, this is your chance to see a musical theater classic that's deservedly one of the most popular shows on Broadway. If you have seen it before, this is a great production of a show that's worth seeing again if you've got the time and money. (Helping you out on the latter point is Goldstar - half-price tickets still available!) Chicago, in typical Kander and Ebb style, will entertain you with music, dance, and characters, so that you might not even realize they're making an interesting and relevant point about the society we still live in (see also Cabaret and The Scottsboro Boys).

"Cabaret" at the Lyric Arts Main Street Stage

One of my favorite shows last year was Frank Theatre's Cabaret, starring Bradley Greenwald and Melissa Hart (from the original Broadway production of the show). So when I attended a production at Lyric Arts Main Street Stage* in Anoka, I tried to put that out of mind, knowing that it was unfair to compare the two. But I was really impressed by the production. All of the leads are great in their roles, the Kit Kat girls are fantastic, the set is interesting and effective, and Cabaret is in my opinion one of the best musicals ever written. I love that it's wildly entertaining and fun and sexy, but also has an undercurrent of desperation just below the frivolity on the surface. Lyric Arts does a great job with both parts in their production running now through August 5.

Cabaret takes place in pre-WWII Berlin, just before the rise of the Nazis. It's the end of the relatively calm period in Germany between the World Wars, just before everything falls apart. And that's the desperation you can feel throughout the piece, that sense that something awful is coming, which the characters in Cabaret choose to deal with by living life as fully and as presently as they can, epitomized by Sally Bowles. She's the star of the Kit Kat Klub, living from day-to-day, man-to-man, painting her fingernails green because "I think it's pretty." She meets Cliff, an American writer, and they live happily together for a short time before the darkness that's brewing in Berlin starts to become apparent. He wants them to return to America, but Sally isn't a housewife in the suburbs kind of girl. She chooses to remain in her beloved Berlin, for better or worse.

Highlights of this production include:

• A fearless and animated performance by Max Malanaphy as the Emcee.
• Eric Brandhorst as the earnest Cliff, who sounds beautiful (and sings a lovely song I've never heard before "Don't Go").
• Katie Hahn as Sally Bowles is fierce and funny, and her final number "Cabaret" is the sad, desperate, determined cry of life that it should be.
• Debbie Swanson and Kristo Sween are just charming as the late in life couple who bond over "a pineapple."
• The set (by Brian Proball) features two levels (with the band upstairs), a fireman's pole put to good use by the actors, and cabaret tables both upstairs and down.
• The choreography (by Jon Michael Stiff) is inventive and interesting and fun, ably performed by the Kit Kat girls.
• The costumes (by Lisa Mangone) are really cool and make everyone look fabulous.

As a resident of the Northeast suburbs, I've been wanting to check out this Anoka theater for a while now. It's a nice little theater (and they sell popcorn in the lobby!), and this was a great first show for me. A few of the shows on their 2012-2013 season appeal to me so I'm sure I'll be making the trip again. Cabaret is definitely worth it, especially if you live on the Northern side of the Cities. I love the idea of a true community theater in the suburbs, so you don't always have to drive into the city to see great theater, and Lyric Arts definitely fits the bill.

the Emcee surrounded by the Kit Kat girls

*I received one complementary ticket to see Cabaret.

"Cabaret" by Frank Theatre at the Minnesota Centennial Showboat

I went to see Cabaret by a theater company I'd never heard of, in a location I didn't know housed theater.  And it was one of those times when I felt so lucky to be in that room, experiencing such an amazing performance of a classic piece of musical theater, with wonderful guests for a post-show discussion.  I found out about the show from one of the many theater emails that I get, and since Cabaret is one of my favorites I looked into it.  I saw that Bradley Greenwald was playing the emcee, and that was enough to get me there.  "There" was a (permanently docked) boat on the Mississippi River in St. Paul, just across from downtown on Harriet Island.  A perfectly lovely location and theater, the original Centennial Showboat opened in celebration of Minnesota's Centennial, which as every Minnesota school child knows was in 1958.  The current showboat was built new after the original burned in a fire during reconstruction, and houses productions by the University of Minnesota and other local theaters like this one.  Frank Theatre has been around for over twenty years, and is "committed to producing unique work that stretches the skills of the artists who create the work while simultaneously challenging the everyday perceptions of the audience through the exploration of ideas and issues of social, political and/or cultural concern."  So far I like what I see, and I'll be keeping an eye out for future productions.

In typical Kander and Ebb style, Cabaret is such a layered, complex piece while still being hugely entertaining.  This production focuses more on the story rather than big splashy musical numbers, although with Bradley Greenwald in the cast the music is amazing too.  He has an unbelievable voice and can sing anything, and brings a lot of humor and depth to the role of the emcee, our guide through the story.  My favorite part of his performance is the opening number in which he sings lines in German, French, and then English.  He sings the English lines in a crass, over-exaggerated American accent that's completely fabulous.  The other star of the show is Melissa Hart, who plays Fraulein Schneider in this production but played Sally Bowles in the original 1966 Broadway and national touring production.  (Lucky for us Melissa moved to Minnesota a few years ago, so I look forward to seeing her on local stages again!)  Her history and connection to the show add a lot to the production, in addition to her amazing performance as the landlady who found love late in life, only to lose it.  Patrick Bailey is her sweet, funny suitor who doesn't want to face what's happening in Germany.

The Kit Kat Klub is filled with great performers, yet they're not too polished as one would expect in a seedy Berlin nightclub.  Fraulein Sally Bowles, "the toast of Mayfair" and star of the Klub, is played by Sara Richardson.  Not only does she have the look (cute short dark hair, smokey eyes and red cupie doll lips) and the voice, but she also has the vulnerability and strength of Sally.  Max Wojtanowicz (who has a lovely voice that I wish we got to hear more of) is the sensible, stable American writer trying to find himself in Berlin, while Sally is flighty and fluttery and scattered.  At first I thought Sally was naive, always happy and pretending not to notice what was happening around her.  But really, Sally is the realist.  She knows how hard life is, she's lived it, and she's just doing what she can to get through the day.  Max is the naive idealist who sees everything in black and white, and thinks all of their problems can be solved by taking a train to Paris.  When Sally sings the final number, "Cabaret," it's a gut-wrenching performance.

The finale of the show features a jumbled sound and look, as everything falls apart in Germany and the Kit Kat Klub.  Each of the characters sings a line or two of their song, reminding us of their journey.  The stage empties except for the emcee, who sings, "Auf Wiedersehen, A Bientot," followed by a shot and silence.  It's so sad, knowing what comes next.  Berlin has such a fascinating and tortured history.

As if all of that wasn't wonderful enough, the day wasn't over yet.  There was a post-show discussion which included director and Frank Artistic Director Wendy Knox, Melissa Hart, choregrapher Bonnie Bottoms, and her mother, Holocaust survivor Sabina Zimering.  She wrote a book about how she survived, assuming a false identity and working in Germany.  It was so humbling and such an honor to be in her presence, knowing she lived through the reality of the world that Cabaret gave us a glimpse into.  And I always love to listen to artists talk about their work, so it was a great ending to a lovely day of theater.

What I love most about Kander and Ebb is that they don't shy away from the tough stuff.  Starting with Cabaret in 1966, all the way through to their final show Scottsboro Boys which came out just last year, they deal with serious issues such as anti-Semitism in Germany and racism in America.  Issues that we like to believe are further in the past than they really are.  Kander and Ebb use the art form of musical theater to ask the difficult questions, not necessarily providing answers but encouraging the audience to wrestle with them.  It seems Frank Theatre has a similar viewpoint, which is perhaps why they chose this piece and why they do it so well.  It's only playing for one more weekend, "good lord willing and the creek don't rise" (literally!), so go see it if you can!

"The Scottsboro Boys" at the Guthrie Theater

I just got home from seeing The Scottsboro Boys at the Guthrie Theater, and am listening to the soundtrack as I write this. It’s a brilliant new musical by John Kander and the late Fred Ebb, and we get to see it here in Minneapolis before it moves to Broadway this fall. It’s funny, disturbing, thought-provoking, moving, and filled with great music and choreography (Susan Stroman directed and choreographed the show). The majority of talented cast will be heading to Broadway with the show, one exception being David Anthony Brinkley, frequent member of the cast at the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, as the Interlocutor (sadly, John Cullum, aka Holling Vincoeur on my favorite TV show Northern Exposure, did not make the trip to Minnesota). Colman Domingo and Forrest McClendon play Mr. Bones and Mr. Tambo, fixtures in the minstrel show and comic relief, and several other characters. The nine talented actors and dancers protraying "the boys" are led by Joshua Henry, who gives a beautiful and heart-breaking performance as Haywood. The youngest of the boys really was a boy – 13 years old and played by the adorable Jeremy Gumbs.

The Scottsboro Boys is the final show of the 2009-2010 Guthrie season in the McGuire Proscenium Stage. My season seat in this theater is in the front row, which is actually the cheap seats because apparently the first row is “too close,” which doesn’t exist in my world. When I got to my seat I was excited to see that there’s an actual pit with an orchestra (before I was a theater geek, I was a band geek, performing in the pit for two shows in high school). The music is wonderful and remiscent of Kander and Ebb's other great shows, Cabaret and Chicago. The set design for this show is really interesting; it mostly consists of mismatching dining room chairs painted silver, moved around and put together in different configurations to represent a train, a bus, a jail cell, and a courtroom.

The show is structured as a minstrel show, telling the true story of nine black men who were accused of raping two white women in Scottsboro, Alabama in 1931. They were convicted and sentenced to death in a sham of a trial, just a few weeks after they were accused. The appeals and trials lasted for six years, going all the way to the US Supreme Court. The show illustrates what these young men went through to find justice, and challenges us to rethink our own ideas.

The Scottsboro Boys is the kind of show that gives me hope for the future of musical theater; in an age where every other show on Broadway is a TV or movie adaptation, this is an original piece about a unique and important story. I don’t want to jinx anything, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see several Tony nominations and wins for this show next year. As Guthrie Theater Director Joe Dowling wrote in the program, “If, as I strongly believe, Oscar Wilde was right when he said that theater is ‘the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being,’ then The Scottsboro Boys teaches us about ourselves and our history while reminding us of these nine young men whose ordeal deserves to be remembered and commemorated.”

See John Kander talking about the show:

Scottsboro Boys: From Off-Broadway to the Guthrie to Broadway

I'm really excited about this show. Scottsboro Boys is a new musical written by Kander and Ebb (Chicago, Cabaret) and directed by Tony winner Susan Stroman, based on the true story of nine black teenagers wrongly accused of rape in the 1930s. It's been playing Off-Broadway (fun fact - the difference between Broadway, Off-Broadway, and Off-Off-Broadway is in the size of the theater: Broadway is 500+ seats, Off-Broadway is 100-499 seats, and Off-Off-Broadway is less than 100 seats) and will soon move to Broadway. But first, it's making a stop in at the Guthrie Theater in Minneapolis, where they will tweak the show in preparation for the Broadway debut. I love being able to see a Broadway show before it hits Broadway, with the original cast. The last such show I saw was The Lion King, which premiered at the Orpheum Theater in Minneapolis in 1997 before heading to Broadway, where it is still running. Scottsboro Boys is not quite The Lion King; it tackles some pretty heavy issues, and I love when musical theater does that.

Check out this this StarTribune article for more information, and the Guthrie website for ticket info.

Update: check out this interview with composer John Kander, who's still creating ground-breaking musical theater at the age of 83.

Also check out this sneak preview of the show. (And if you stay for the very end you'll here the tones used to call the audience at the Guthrie, a sound that never fails to put a smile on my face. :)