"Are You Now or Have You Ever Been..." by Carlyle Brown & Company at the Guthrie Studio

... a member of the Communist party. That's the completion of the wordy title of this play, or at least one variation of it. It refers to questions posed by Joseph McCarthy and his senate subcommittee to the African-American poet and suspected Communist Langston Hughes in 1953. This new play at the Guthrie Studio Theater,* written by Carlyle Brown (who also wrote the moving play American Family which premiered at Park Square a few months ago), is about Langston Hughes and his experience with McCarthyism. But it's really about so much more. It's about who he was as a man, as a writer, as an activist, as well as what was going on in America during the time he was writing (with possible parallels to today).

Gavin Lawrence plays Langston Hughes, and it's worth noting that he starred in American Family opposite the playwright and Noël Raymond, who directs this play. These are frequent collaborators who continue to work well together. And in this case, Gavin's portrayal of Langston Hughes is one of the best performances I've seen on stage this year. He fully inhabits this character and brings him to life before our eyes. He speaks directly to the audience, looking us in the eye, engaging us and making us feel like a part of the story. He "reads" long segments of books and articles, recites poetry (with the words displayed on a screen behind him), talks on the phone, talks to himself, talks to the audience, all seamlessly and organically. I know I shouldn't be, because it's their job, but I can't help but be impressed by actors who memorize long monologues. This is basically a one-man show for the first hour. And he never stops talking and being this man. I must confess: I've never been able to get into poetry; reading a printed poem does nothing for me. And I know next to nothing about Langston Hughes. But when Gavin as Langston reads these poems out loud, I get it. He brings these beautiful words to life in the most wonderful way - he performs them, he lives them. I could listen to him read poems for two hours, and this is coming from someone who's not generally a fan of a poetry. There are lots of interesting and worthwhile things about this play, but for me it's all about Gavin Lawrence's performance.

Langston Hughes (Gavin Lawrence) and his lawyer (playwright Carlyle Brown)
respond to questions from McCarthy's subcommittee

After about an hour of this phenomenal one-man show, the action moves to the actual subcommittee proceedings as McCarthy and three others pepper Langston with questions about his poems, his travels, and his beliefs. They're seated at a high desk behind the screen, as Langston sits with his lawyer (played by the playwright) facing the audience. The questions are ridiculous and paranoid, and Langston fends them off as best he can. There's no real resolution to the scenario. Only silence as the committee members walk out. One last poem is displayed on the screen, which the audience is left to read silently to themselves.

Sometimes there’s a wind in the Georgia dusk
That cries and cries and cries
Its lonely pity through the Georgia dusk
Veiling what the darkness hides


Sometimes there’s blood in the Georgia dusk
Left by a streak of sun
A crimson trickle in the Georgia dusk
Whose Blood? …Everyone’s


Sometimes a wind in the Georgia dusk
Scatters hate like seed
To sprout its bitter barriers
Where the sunsets bleed

Celebrity Sighting
As I was looking for a seat in the general admission seating of the Dowling Studio, I spotted a sign that said "reserved for Joe Dowling."  Yes, the man for whom the theater was named, and Artistic Director of the Guthrie, was in the house!




*I received two complementary tickets to attend Are You Now or Have You Ever Been... as part of the Guthrie's "Blogger Night." 

"Spring Awakening" by Theater Latte Da at the Rarig Center

Warning: this is not an unbiased review.  Theater Latte Da is my favorite local theater company, I think everything Peter Rothstein touches is gold (this: "Peter Rothstein is one of the premiere directors of musical theater in the country and I live in terror that an evil Broadway producer will swoop down and snatch him away from us.*"), and Spring Awakening is one of my favorite musicals (I saw it on Broadway with most of the original cast, and twice on tour, and I have a kitty named Moritz Stiefel).  So I was predisposed to love this production, and love it I did.  But it seems that I'm not alone in that feeling (see the many glowing reviews from real theater critics), so you can rest assured that I am not leading you astray when I say that if you're a fan of music and theater, go see this show (playing now through May 6 at the Rarig Center on the U of M West Bank Campus).  And really, if you're not a fan of music and theater, why are you reading this?  ;)

The eight-time Tony-winning Broadway musical by Steven Sater (book and lyrics) and Duncan Sheik (music) is based on an ahead-of-its-time German play by Frank Wedekind (Frülings Erwachen for my fellow German nerds).  It was written in the late 19th century but rarely produced at the time because Wedekind so explicitly and realistically examined the sexual awakening of teenagers in a repressed society, and "the opposition children encounter from their elders just when they need openness and understanding, and how the way adults treat them will determine their future course" (Carl R. Mueller in a note in the playbill).  More than 100 years later this ground-breaking play was combined with modern pop and rock music to great the ground-breaking musical.  Our heroes are the teenage lovers Melchior and Wendla, and Melchior's best friend Moritz, who don't have the information they need to handle the issues they face, which has dire consequences for all three of them.  And not surprisingly, Peter Rothstein has found the perfect Twin Cities actors to portray these roles.


the lovers: Wendla (Cat Brindisi) and Melchi (David Darrow)

Cat Brindisi proved last fall in Theater Latte Da's Spelling Bee that she is not a star because of nepotism (her parents are Michael Brindisi, Artistic Director of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, and busy and talented actor Michelle Barber, who also plays her mother in this show), she's a star because she's an incredible talent in her own right.  She's really the heart and soul of the show as Wendla, the wide-eyed and curious young girl who learns about life the hard way, because no one will tell her the truth.  Unfortunately for us she's moving to NYC to find her fortune.  I wish her the best and I will go see her on Broadway, but I wouldn't mind seeing her come home to do a show every now and then.

Melchior is that kid who's too smart for his own good.  Always questioning, always thinking, he's got it all figured out.  But unfortunately the world he lives in doesn't allow for new ideas, and he learns a harsh lesson about reality.  David Darrow again gives an intense and moving performance (having played one of two teenage boys who fall in love in Latte Da's last show Beautiful Thing), and this time we get to hear his beautiful voice too.


Moritz (Tyler Michaels)
in a rare quiet moment

I first saw Tyler Michaels when he stole the show as Snoopy in You're A Good Man, Charlie Brown at BCT earlier this year, and was happy to find out he'd be taking on the role of my poor sweet Moritz.  He brings his amazingly physical style of acting to this role and makes it completely his own - leaping in the dance numbers, jumping over chairs in scenes, and climbing around the stage as he sings one of my favorite songs, "Don't Do Sadness."  He said in the post-show discussion that he lets the emotions reside in his body as a way to better feel and portray them, and it shows in the most wonderful way.

Two actors portray all of the adult roles in the show, mostly teachers and parents, and most of them not very likeable (Melchior's mother seems to be the one kind and sensible adult).  The aforementioned Michelle Barber and James Detmar do a wonderful job at creating multiple distinct characters in very short scenes.  The ensemble is largely made up of U of M students, and really, who better to cast as a bunch of teenagers than theater students?  They're young and hungry with their whole lives in front of them, just like these kids with great German names like Ernst and Ilse.  Eager to learn, they're learning from the best in this production.  And they have fantastic boundless energy that fills the thrust stage.

The Tony-winning score sounds amazing in the hands of the five-piece onstage band led by Denise Prosek.  The choreography by Carl Flink (Chair of the U of M's Theatre Arts and Dance department) is really cool and unique, so organic to the characters and the music.  As he and the cast talked about in the post-show, the dancing is these characters' bodies speaking in a way that their words cannot in their strictly regimented world.  It's somewhat reminiscent of the Broadway choreography (which he's never seen), but is it's own thing entirely (gone are the hand-held microphones, opening up more opportunties for movement).  I particularly loved "The Bitch of Living," with the boys dancing on and around chairs and leaping through the air, hoping someone will catch them (when it was over I wanted to rewind and watch it again!), as well "Totally Fucked," in which all of the kids run around and literally get in the audiences faces.  It's all youthful energy and passion with nowhere to go but into the dance.

I chose this production of Spring Awakening for an annual event I plan for my friends called "girls night out at the theater."  I love this musical so much, and I knew Latte Da would do a fantastic job, that I wanted to share it with as many people as possible.  I don't often tell people "you must see this show."  But I'm telling you, you must see this show.  There are plenty of seats available (I know because I just ordered tickets to see it again), so get them before they sell out as word spreads!  This is a show not to be missed.  If you don't believe me and the dozen other reviews, see for yourself:



Peter Rothstein and Theater Latte Da's year-long experiment in focusing on youth-oriented productions was a resounding success in my eyes (see The 25th Annual Spelling Bee, about a middle school spelling bee, and Beautiful Thing, about two teenage boys falling in love in working class London).  It provided opportunities for up-and-coming musical theater actors that will hopefully convince them to stay here, and continue to enrich this amazing theater community.  And I can't wait to see what Theater Latte Da will do next year, which will hopefully announced at a lovely outdoor concert at Lake Harriet this summer.



*Quote from John Olive's review at HowWasTheShow.com.

"Coco's Diary" at the History Theatre

Coco's Diary* is an adaptation of the recently discovered diary of a 13-year-old named Clotilde Irving who grew up in a mansion on Summit Avenue in the 1920s, the same mansion that now serves as the Governor's Mansion.  While her life in 1927 was probably pretty atypical, the daughter of a wealthy and privileged family, her experiences, thoughts, and manner of speaking are quite familiar to anyone who's ever been 13.  Coco reminds me of my 13-year-old cousin; everything is so dramatic, it's either the best thing that's ever happened, or the worst.  There is no in between when you're 13.  Coco was smart, precocious, charming, and a talented writer.  It's no surprise that the History Theatre chose to bring this story to life; it's a great story set in a specific time and place in Minnesota history, but it's also a universal story of the trials and tribulations of growing up.

The play begins in 1965 when Coco's mother dies, leaving her and her older brother Tom to sort through the house.  Coco discovers her diary and delights in reading it and remembering that time in her life, which mostly involved dancing, boys, and getting into and out of trouble.  Only after reading the diary is Coco able to say good-bye to the house.  Three actors bring this story to life through reading the diary and reenacting the scenes:

• Kacie Riddle (herself 13 years old) plays the young Coco.  It's amazing to me that someone so young can so handily carry a two-hour play.  Yes she has help from two very talented adult actors, but she is Coco, in all of her moods - funny, charming, dramatic, hopeful, despondent, and lively.
• Andrea Wollenberg (one of the hilariously evil stepsisters in Cinderella) is the adult Coco, as well as Coco's mother, Coco's younger sister, and several other characters.  Whether she's walking around on her knees and talking with a lisp, or sternly reprimanding Coco for her latest exploit, she brings great life to these different characters.  And she has a lovely voice!
• Jake Endres plays Coco's brother Tom, both the 1965 and the 1927 versions.  He also portrays her father, teacher, and any other characters needed for the story.  Jake also acts as the music director and accompanies much of the action on piano, as well as singing songs of the day in his beautifully deep voice.  I love plays that add music to the story-telling.  It's not a full-blown musical, but the music adds to the story and helps set the scene, especially because Coco is so obsessed with dancing.

The diary was adapted for the stage by Bob Beverage and Artistic Director Ron Peluso (who also directs).  The dialogue sounds as if it comes directly from the diary; I'm curious to read it and compare (the diary has been published in the book Through No Fault of My Own).  I also want to know what happens next in her life, which makes me wonder, was 1927 the only year that Coco kept a diary?  Or just the only one that survived?  (Read this article in the StarTribune to find out what happened to Coco.  Warning: it's not quite the happy ending we might hope for, but such is life.)  The set (by Rick Polenek) looks like what the inside of a Summit Avenue Mansion should, and I'm tempted to take a tour of the real thing.

Coco's Diary plays at the History Theatre in St. Paul now through March 25.  It's a delightful look at what is was like to be 13 in 1927, which it turns out is not so different from today.


*I received two complementary tickets to attend the opening night of Coco's Diary.

"Beautiful Thing" by Theater Latte Da at the Lab Theater

Make your own kind of music

Sing your own special song
Make your own kind of music
Even if nobody else sings along

This song by the 1960s group The Mamas & the Papas closes Theatre Latte Da's production of the play with music, Beautiful Thing.  It's a beautiful and hopeful ending to the show and really gets to the heart of what it's all about. 

Beautiful Thing tells the story of two teenage boys in a working-class neighborhood of London who fall in love.  Jamie lives with his single mother who works at a pub, and is struggling to fit in with his peers who think he's "weird;" even his own mother tells him that.  Ste lives next door with his abusive alcoholic father, and sometimes takes refuge at Jamie's place when things get too bad at home.  On the other side of Jamie lives Leah, who has been kicked out of school and spends all her time listening to and singing along with the music of Mama Cass.  She's a bit of a jerk, but it soon becomes apparent that she's lonely and struggling to find her place in the world, just like the boys are.  And when Jamie and Ste find their place in the world through each other, it truly is a beautiful thing.  Jamie's mother is upset when she finds out about the boys' relationship, but comes to accept it.  She may not be the best mother (at one point literally rolling around on the ground with her son as they fight), but she loves her son and does the best she can for him.  We never see Ste's family, but from the way they're talked about it's hard to believe they'd be very accepting.  I like to believe he somehow escaped from their orbit.

Beautiful Thing reminds me a little bit of the movie Billy Elliot (later turned into a stage musical): a young boy from a working class family in England finding himself in an unconventional way.  But while Billy falls in love with dancing and his own artistic expression, Jamie falls in love with Ste, and is able to figure out who he is through that love.

Because this is Theater Latte Da, there is music in this play, and the music conveys what mere words cannot.  Erin Schwab embodies Mama Cass and walks through the scenes, singing and bringing to life the songs in Leah's head, accompanied by the fabulous band hidden below the set.  Before seeing this show I was only marginally familiar with The Mamas & the Papas, and even less so with Mama Cass.  She is a fascinating character herself, and yet another incredible voice who left this earth way too early (she died at the age of 32).  I'm enamored of the sound and the look of the 1960s, so it's not too surprising that I just downloaded the soundtrack from the 1996 movie version of Beautiful Thing (plus a few additional songs that weren't included).  Here's a way that Theater Latte Da could improve (something I thought impossible) - offer downloads of songs from their shows.  I would definitely buy a soundtrack of this show featuring the songs of Mama Cass in Erin Schwab's fabulous voice (with Dennis Curley's lovely harmonies).

As with all Latte Da shows, this show is perfectly cast.  (And they all do such a great job with the working-class London accent that I really had to pay attention to catch what they were saying, not to mention learning new words such as slag and knackered.)  Steven Lee Johnson (a student with the esteemed U of M/Guthrie program) and David Darrow* (who recently moved here from NYC, where he won an Innovative Theatre Award) are perfect as the young lovers Jamie and Ste, believable and natural and sympathetic.  Anna Sundberg (one of my favorite artists of 2011) is, as usual, fully committed to creating a distinct and layered character.  Jennifer Blagen gives depth to Jamie's tough-talking mother, and Dan Hopman is charming as her boyfriend of the moment, who's also pretty nice to the kids.

This is the first Theater Latte Da production not directed by Artistic Director Peter Rothstein; he handed the reigns over to Jeremy B. Cohen.  I also don't remember a show without Denise Prosek as musical director (Dennis Curley takes the baton here).  And if I hadn't known it, I would never have guessed it was anyone other than Peter and Denise pulling the strings (I think that's the biggest compliment I can give).  The set (by Michael Hoover) is really cool (and smells of new construction).  It consists of the outside of three side-by-site flats, elevated to allow room for the band below, with some scenes occurring on the floor in front.  The Lab Theater is such a great space.  Big and open, allowing for any number of diverse worlds to be created within it (I'll next be seeing The Moving Company's new work Werther and Lotte there).

This play was written almost 20 years ago, but is still timely with the recent rash of gay bullying, and the impending vote on the Minnesota Marriage Amendment.  Jamie and Ste's relationship is like any other young love - unsure, passionate, hesitant, sweet, and true.  Maybe I'm dense, but I just don't see how that could be a threat to anyone.  Theater Latte Da has allowed students and their parents to see this show for free, as a way to facilitate conversations and healing.  That is most definitely a beautiful thing.

Check out this video trailer for the show.  And then order your tickets here (playing now through March 18).

Beautiful Thing trailer from Theater Latte Da on Vimeo.



*I have been looking forward to Theater Latte Da's final show of the season, Spring Awakening, since their season was announced last summer.  I think it's one of the best new musicals of the last decade, and I'm really excited to see what Peter Rothstein and Co. do with it.  David Darrow (Ste) will make an excellent Melchior, opposite Cat Brindisi (who sang "Mama, Mama, Mama" so beautifully in Spelling Bee last year that I can easily imagine her singing "Mama Who Bore Me") as Wendla, with the very talented Tyler Michaels (aka Snoopy in You're a Good Man Charlie Brown) as my favorite character Moritz.  Definitely a show not to be missed.



Celebrity Sighting
I believe that was Reid Harmsen working in the lobby of the Lab Theater.  Reid has appeared at the Lab as Brad in The Rocky Horror Show, and as my favorite character Mark in RENT.  Update: it was indeed Reid; I saw him again a few weeks later and introduced myself.  He said he reads my blog all the time and was very sweet.  It was so nice to talk to him and I look forward to seeing him onstage sometime soon!

"The Edge of Our Bodies" at the Guthrie Theater

When I walked into the Guthrie's Dowling Studio theater last night to see* The Edge of Our Bodies, the star of the show, Ali Rose Dachis, was quietly sitting on stage, barely moving, just observing.  It was a bit disconcerting at first (Am I late? Can we talk?), but eventually the audience got used to it and the usual pre-show chatter ensued.  At showtime the house lights slowly went down, the audience became silent, and Ali began talking.  And she didn't stop for 90 minutes.

We soon found out that Bernadette is a 16-year-old student at a boarding school in Vermont.  She begins by reading from her journal, barely looking up as she recounts her journey by train into New York City to visit her boyfriend.  She eventually puts down her journal and paces around the stage, acting out some of the story.  The purpose of her trip is to tell her boyfriend that she's pregnant, but of course things don't go quite as she planned.  Bernie has a series of encounters on her journey - an old man on the train, her boyfriend's sick father, a man she meets in a bar.  Each encounter is beautifully told in a way that makes it seem like you're watching the interaction as it happens, instead of listening to Bernie tell about it sometime later.  She's somewhat of a pathological liar; she makes up a different back-story for herself with everyone she meets.  She returns home after an unsatisfying visit to continue on with her life as best she can.

What an amazing feat of acting, not just to memorize what is basically a 90-minute monologue (except for one brief interruption, which is a bit jarring but helps establish the setting of the play), but also to create this character and tell the entire story by yourself with no help from other cast-members.  No breaks or pauses, just continuous story-telling.  Ali does an amazing job of bringing Bernie (and the other characters as seen through her eyes) to life through her storytelling.  She was hand-picked by the director, Benjamin McGovern, after directing her last year in Circle Mirror Transformation (one of my favorite shows of 2010).  In that show she played a sullen teenager, but this role has much more depth, which she's definitely up for.  Of course it probably helps that the material is so rich.  The Edge of Our Bodies is a beautifully written play that sounds like it could be a short story (there's lots of "he says," "I reply"); Bernie wants to write short stories when she grows up, making one think this could be her first short story.  I came away from the show wanting to read some of playwright Adam Rapp's novels or see more of his plays; I really connected to his writing style and the flow of his words.  Even though his name sounded familiar, it wasn't until I googled him that I found out he's Anthony Rapp's brother (he originated my favorite character Mark in my favorite musical RENT, and I had the pleasure of seeing him perform the role on tour a few years ago).  Talented family.

It took a little while to figure out what the set was supposed to be, where is Bernie telling this story from?  The floor of the stage is a series of marble circles, and the furniture is ornate and old-fashioned looking, in contrast to the young and modern story Bernie is telling (Michael Hoover designed the set, and also designed the realistic lived-in house of Park Square Theatre's August: Osage County).  We learn that her school is doing the play The Maids by Jean Genet (about two maids who play at killing their employer), and it becomes apparent (especially after the janitor interrupts her and starts dismantling the set) that she's on the abandoned stage after the run of the show.  She interjects overly dramatic scenes from the play into her storytelling.

The Edge of Our Bodies is a beautifully written play, beautifully acted; a great 90 minutes of story-telling.  The other two shows playing at the Guthrie right now are big and loud (Burial at Thebes and Much Ado About Nothing); this play is a nice contrast to that.  One person telling a story from the heart can be just as effective, even moreso, than a large cast.  That's what I like about theater; it can be wild and crazy, or silly and funny, or quiet and poignant, or anything in between.


*I received two free tickets to this play as part of "Blogger Night at the Guthrie."


Celebrity Sighting
I seem to run into Peter Rothstein (Artistic Director of Theater Latte Da) everywhere I go lately, but I swear I'm not stalking him!  ;)  I spotted him in the 4th floor lobby at the Guthrie.  I didn't see him up at the Studio so I'm not sure what show he was there to see.  I like to think he saw Burial at Thebes because they do some pretty innovative story-telling through music, which is what Latte Da is all about.

"The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee" by Theater Latte Da at the Ordway McKnight Theatre

The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, or in the case of Theater Latte Da's new production, The 25th Annual Seven County Metro Area Spelling Bee, is a delightful, hilarious, clever look at a middle school spelling bee and the characters that inhabit it.  (And if you think this show is an exaggeration, check out the marvelous documentary Spellbound - truth is stranger than fiction.)  I had seen the show twice before, once on tour and once on Broadway, so I already knew I loved it.  And as usual, Latte Da's production of it is practically perfect in every way.

One of the things I love about Latte Da is their impeccable casting, which is beautifully on display in this show.  With the exception of Tod Petersen (creator and star of the funny, sweet, and very Minnesotan A Christmas Carole Petersen), this is a cast of Latte Da newcomers.  And many of the actors who play the kids are kids themselves - college students or recent graduates.  Artistic Director Peter Rothstein is intentionally focusing on casting young actors this season (a season which ends with one of my favorite new musicals Spring Awakening).  And I think he may have discovered several stars of the future in this cast.

My favorite of the six Spelling Bee finalists is Leaf Coneybear, with an adorably spirited and loopy performance by Alan Bach.  Poor Leaf isn't your typical smart kid, he sort of ended up there by accident, and is having the time of his life.  Logainne Schwarzandgrubenierre (Mary Fox, one of my Yellow Tree faves, who fully commits to creating a quirky character) is the lisping daughter of two dads, always trying to please them.  Derek Prestly as last year's champion Chip Tolentino gets his (slightly embarrassing) glory moment after Chip is eliminated from the competition.  Marcy Park (Sheena Janson, aka the sultry seductive man-eating plant Audrey II, in a totally opposite role here) is the stereotypical Asian student who's good at everything, but learns it's more fun not to be perfect.  William Barfee (convincingly played by Joseph R. Pyfferoen) has nasal congestion issues and a magic foot, and unexpectedly develops a sweet friendship with a competitor.  As the other half of that relationship, the slightly neglected Olive Ostrovsy, Cat Brindisi proves she has inherited her parents' many talents (her dad is Michael Brindisi, Artistic Director of the Chanhassen Dinner Theatres, and her mom is actor Michelle Barber), but has a spark and a spirit all her own.  It's a pleasure to watch these six "kids" light up the stage with their talent.

The "adults" aren't too shabby either.  The hosts of the Bee are Vice Principal Panch (Tod Petersen) and former champion Rona Lisa Peretti (Kim Kivens).  Tod and Kim are both spot-on in their characterizations of the tightly wound VP and the woman who looks back on her Spelling Bee win as the highlight of her life.  Brian Frutiger plays convict-turned-counselor Mitch Mahoney, who hands the losers a juice box and escorts them off stage.  He has a great voice; he's a member of the Metropolitan Opera in NYC "slumming" it in musical theater here in Minnesota.  Whether stage veteran or relative newcomer, this show is perfectly cast.

This show involves some audience participation; three audience members are called up to join the competition, which allows for some hilarious ad libbing by our hosts.  It's great fun to watch the people on stage being led around by the cast, to see their reactions to the show going on around them, as well as the always in-character reactions of the actors playing with them.  I'm not quite sure how it works, but I assume you can put your name in the hat before the show, so look for that in the lobby if you want to take your chances at the Bee.  The 25th Annual Seven County Metro Area Spelling Bee is playing through the end of the month - catch it while you can.  I'm going again at the end of the month, and I'm looking forward to seeing how the show has grown as well as the differences that new audience members onstage bring.




Celebrity Sighting
Yellow Tree Theatre co-founders Jason Peterson and Jessica Lind were in the audience to support their friend and frequent collaborator Mary Fox, who is also responsible for the sound design in Yellow Tree's current show Steel Magnolias.

"How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying" at the Al Hirshfield Theatre on Broadway

Last Saturday was my favorite kind of day: a two-show day in NYC. First, a stunning production of the Stephen Sondheim musical Follies. Followed by the fun, energetic, thoroughly entertaining How to Succeed in Business without Really Trying, complete with a post-show backstage tour (more on that later). It doesn't get much better than that!

How to Succeed is the second Frank Loesser musical I've seen this year.  The first was Guys and Dolls, and I can definitely see similarities in the songs, structure, and setting.  How to Succeed is set in a workplace in the 60s. Sort of like a dancing and singing Mad Men, without all the angst and serious consequences of the gender and racial inequities of the time. The costumes are fabulous, with the men in slim-cut suits with skinny ties, and the women in mod sheath dresses with matching hats and bags. The character of Rosemary alone has at least a half dozen of these dresses, all in various shades of pink! The backdrop of the set is a sort of honeycomb, with changing colors in the cells, which also house dancers for some numbers.  The set is comprised of an intricate series of moving pieces that represent different areas of the office.  I was particularly impressed by an overhanging ledge that popped out of the side and supported a desk and many people.

The plot of the show follows a young man named J. Pierrepont Finch who manages to climb the corporate ladder in a short time by manipulating situations and impressing the right people; he's like Eddie Haskell of the business world.  The young man is of course played by Daniel Radcliffe (you may have heard of him from his role in a little movie franchise).  He gives an amazing performance and really leads the show.  The fact that at the height of his career, when he could have done anything he wanted to, he chose to do musical theater on Broadway, is a pretty cool thing in my book.  And he doesn't just rest on his laurels as a "big star;" he's worked really hard to learn the singing and dancing this role requires, and it shows.  This is not easy choreography; it's intense and driving and relentless.  In one number he's being carried and twisted and turned through the air, in another he's stamping letters and effortlessly tossing boxes around the mail room (one of which ended up in the audience, and whoever caught it was not giving it back!), not to mention leading the ensemble in the showstopper, "Brotherhood of Man."  I was more impressed than I expected to be by a "movie star," and I'm looking forward to watching his career grown on stage and screen.

The rest of the cast is just as amazing as its lead, from the secondary characters to the last member of the ensemble.  John Laroquette (who won the Tony for this role) plays the president of the company, and his comedic skills are used quite well.  I wonder how many of his funny little ticks and gestures have been added as he continues to perform the role.  He and Dan have great chemistry as boss and favorite employee. Rose Hemingway plays Finch's love interest Rosemary (she of the multiple pink dresses) with a sweet earnestness that makes you believe she really would be "Happy to Keep his Dinner Warm."  Christopher J. Hanke plays the boss' nephew and Finch's nemesis, and really hams it up (in a good way).  Last but not least, one of my favorite soap actors Michael Park (Emmy-winner for his role as Jack on the dear departed As the World Turns, who's also a veteran of the stage) brings his charisma and talent to the role of sycophantic personnel manager Mr. Bratt.  From his previous soundtracks (Smokey Joe's Cafe, Violet) I knew he could sing, but he's a pretty smooth dancer too.  I have a mutual friend with Michael, who arranged for my theater buddy and me to meet up with him after the show, which led to my amazing backstage experience.


looking out from the empty stage at the Al Hirshfield Theatre

Unlike the other shows I've posted this week, this playbill only has one autograph on it.  That's because this show has the craziest stage door I've ever seen.  If you go see a Broadway show and want to say hello to the cast, it's pretty easy to find the stage door, wait ten minutes, and get autographs from the entire cast as they leave the theater.  But not this show.  There were cops, barricades, and more people than I've ever seen at a stage door.  They were all there to see Daniel (and maybe John), which is unfortunate because the fabulous ensemble members snuck out and away without anyone really noticing.  Fortunately, we were on the guest list so we were escorted past the waiting crowds right up to the door, where Michael greeted us and led us inside.  We walked a few feet, and suddenly we were on the stage! 


with Michael Park (Mr. Bratt) in the elevator on the set of
How to Succeed

Ironically, the stage at the Al Hirshfield Theatre is the one Broadway stage I've previously been on, when I saw HAIR there twice last year and danced with the hippies on stage after the show.  But this was different.  The theater and stage were completely empty, except for us and a few cleaning people.  Michael showed us some of the parts of the set and what moves where.  He very kindly talked to us for quite a while.  He only had great things to say about Daniel, both as a person and a performer.  Dan walked across the stage while we were standing there talking, and we exchanged nods.  He went outside accompanied by screams, and when we left the crowd had mostly dissipated.  We walked home on a high from our fabulous day of theater in NYC, capped by a once in a lifetime backstage experience.  Thanks Michael!

How to Succeed is definitely a great choice if you're in NYC and want a fun, entertaining, classic musical theater experience.  Daniel leaves the show on January 1, to be replaced by one of my favorite Glee kids Darren Criss.  He'll play the role for three weeks, followed by a Jonas brother (no comment).  If I were you, I'd make every effort to see the show this year, or in January.  But with this huge and talented cast, the incredible choreography, and great music, it's sure to be a fun time for the rest of its run on Broadway.

"RENT" at the New World Stages Off-Broadway

RENT is my favorite musical (as you can see in the "About Me" blurb to the right).  My obsession with the show dates back to when it premiered in 1996 and I first saw it on tour (twice) in 1997.  It's really the first musical I fell in love with as an adult and it's where I mark the beginnings of my love for theater.  I've now seen it 13 times: once on Broadway, every tour that came to St. Paul or Minneapolis (including the 2009 tour that starred original cast member Adam Pascal and Anthony Rapp), and a fabulous local production at the Lab Theatre in Minneapolis last year.  So when I heard that there was a new production Off-Broadway directed by original director Michael Greif, but with a new perspective on what has become a musical theater classic, I had to see it.  And I loved the show as much as I ever have.

New World Stages is like a multiplex of Off-Broadway theater (there are six theaters in the building), and seems to be the place where Broadway shows go to downsize (Avenue Q, Million Dollar Quartet).  The stage and the house are much smaller than the Nederlander Theatre where RENT played for 12 years (making it the ninth longest running show on Broadway).  With the exception of one local production, I've only see the Broadway/touring version of the show.  And even though every time you see it's different (cast), it's also somewhat the same (costumes, sets, direction).  So it was a thrill for me to see a fresh new production with all new sets, costumes, choreography, and direction, not to mention a talented, young, (mostly) unknown cast.

For those of you who've never seen RENT before, basically it's about a group of young starving artists in New York City's East Village in the late 20th century, struggling with poverty, AIDS, love, creation, and trying to find their place in the world.  It was written by the late Jonathan Larson (he died the night before the Off-Broadway premiere of the show in 1996), and is based on the opera La Boheme. 


with Adam Chanler-Berat (Mark)

This cast is young and talented.  Annaleigh Ashford is perhaps the best Maureen I've ever seen (with the caveat that I've never seen the original Maureen, Idina Menzel, perform the role).  She's delightfully kooky and has one of those voices that she just effortlessly throws around for comedy, when in reality it takes a lot of skill and control to sing well comedically.  She has a great match in Corbin Reid's Joanne; their duet "Take Me or Leave Me" is a highlight.  Matt Shingledecker and Adam Chanler-Berat are a well matched Roger and Mark, respectively, and well cast for their roles.  Adam is the one cast member I knew before seeing this show; he originated the role of Henry in Next to Normal ("perfect for you....").  He makes a really good Mark (my favorite character); the Mark/Roger duets were great as was the Mark/Joanne duet "Tango Maureen."  We had an understudy for Collins, Marcus Paul James, and he was wonderful (as understudies often are, I find).  As I told him at the stage door, the second act reprise of "I'll Cover You" always gets to me, and his version was no exception.  The casting was very well done for all of the roles, with the possible exception of Mimi.  Arianda Fernandez's performance is ferocious, but lacks the vulnerability needed to make the audience care about what happens to her.  It's a difficult line to walk.

The Off-Broadway stage is smaller with not as much room to run around as the Broadway stage, but they make good use of the vertical space.  It reminds me of a smaller version of Next to Normal (not surprising since Michael Greif directed that as well, and they share the same set designer, Mark Wendland), with its multiple levels and stairways.  The sparse furniture of the original show, consisting of long tables and folding chairs, has been replaced with actual desks and chairs and moving set pieces.  The iconic costumes have been changed, but still retain the spirit of each character.  Upon seeing each them I'd think - that looks like something Mark would wear, even though I haven't seen him wear it before.


with Matt Shingledecker (Roger)

When I met the cast at the stage door I was shocked at how young they looked, as did most of the fans waiting for them (I guess I looked that young 15 years ago when I first saw the show).  I'm a first generation RENThead, but it's pretty cool that there's a whole new generation of young people falling in love with the musical for the first time.  There were plenty of empty seats on a Friday night, so if you're in town definitely check it out.  You can most likely get discount tickets at the TKTS booth.  This show has such heart, and such a feeling of friendship and togetherness and living in the moment (made even more poignant by knowing the creator's story).  This new production captures that spirit beautifully.  It's still the musical that I've loved for 15 years, but a new creation too.

No day but today!

"The Book of Mormon" at the Eugene O'Neill Theatre on Broadway

I planned my 2011 trip to New York City around The Book of Mormon.  In fact, my NYC theater buddy and I were so focused on getting tickets that we didn't immediately realize that our trip coincided with the 10th anniversary of 9-11.  Which actually turned out to be a really fortunate "coincidence."  There's nowhere else I'd rather be on that day. 

But back to the show.  I saw it described somewhere as "sweetly irreverent," and I can't think of a better way to say it.  The creators Matt Stone, Trey Parker (the creators of South Park, of which I have yet to see a single episode), and Robert Lopez (Avenue Q, one of my favorite new musicals, which has a similar feel) are somehow able to walk that fine line.  They've created something that's the foulest thing I've ever seen on stage, but with a really wonderful heart and a great message.  It works, and (most) people get it.  So much so that The Book of Mormon won nine Tony Awards this year (including Best Musical, Best Score, and Best Book), and tickets are hard to come by.  It's that rare creation that's a critical and popular success.

The musical tells the story of two Mormons who go on their mission to Uganda.  For Elder Price, the good and earnest overachiever, Africa is not what he had planned for his future.  He wants to do "something incredible," and doesn't feel that Africa is the place to do it.  His companion, the socially awkward compulsive liar Elder Cunningham, is thrilled to finally have a "best friend" and is content to sit by and watch as he does big things.  They soon find out that the African mission has not baptized a single new Mormon, and is in danger of being shut down.  Elder Price decides to get out and go somewhere he can made a difference, but Elder Cunningham decides to "man up" and takes an unconventional approach to converting the Ugandans.

Another wonderful thing about The Book of Mormon is that it's a traditional musical in structure, but totally non-traditional in content.  There are big ensemble numbers with amazing intricate choreography (dancing Mormon boys as well as more African style dancing), duets between buddies and would-be lovers, and quieter moments of one character expressing himself through a beautiful ballad.  Which is further evidence to support my theory that musical theater is a versatile art form that can be used to communicate any number of ideas and stories.

with Andrew Rannells (Elder Price) at the stage door

The cast of this show is so talented, and we were fortunate to meet many of them at the stage door (see playbill above).  Josh Gad is adorkable as Elder Cunningham, and has created a character so specific that I'm curious to see how it's interpreted on tour (i.e., will they just cast a Josh Gad impersonator?).  Andrew Rannells has a great voice and is very believable as the young idealistic man whose dreams don't take the form he thinks they will.  Nikki M. James deservedly won a Tony for her role as Nabalungi, the sweet and open-hearted daughter of the village leader.  I was thrilled to recognize Michael Potts from the 2009 Guthrie-commissioned Tony Kushner play Intelligent Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and Socialism with a Key to the Scriptures.  He said he had to choose between reprising his role in that play on Broadway, and this role - tough choice!

The Book of Mormon may seem to be poking fun at the Mormon religion on the surface, but I think it's a really wonderful exploration of faith and religion. Different cultures interpret religion through the lens of their experience, and myths change to suit the audience. In the end, people find stories that help them explain the world they live in and give them comfort about their uncertain future.  Kind of like what musical theater does for me.

"Life's A Dream" by Ten Thousand Things at Open Book

I attended my first Ten Thousand Things production, My Fair Lady, earlier this year. I've been hearing about them for years, but just hadn't gotten to a show. After that first show, I was hooked, and bought a season pass for this year. If you've never seen a TTT production, it may be a bit jarring at first. They perform in an open room with almost no set, simple costumes, and full lights. The actors look you in the eye as they deliver their lines a few feet in front of you. The reason they perform like this is because their main focus is to bring theater to people who don't usually have the opportunity to go to the theater - people in prisons, homeless shelters, and treatment centers, for example. "Because theater is richer when EVERYONE is in the audience." For those of us fortunate enough to be in the position to go to the theater, they also hold public paid performances, but they perform in the same style as they do for their less fortunate audiences. It's theater unlike I've ever experienced it before. With no distractions, it's all about the acting and the piece. And they use some of the best actors in the community (and apparently also draw some of the best actors to the audience: I spotted Sarah Agnew from 39 Steps at the Guthrie across the aisle from me!).

But on to the show at hand: Life's a Dream. With mistaken identities, women dressing as men, kings and princes, prophesies from the stars, and swordfights, it felt a little like a Shakespeare play. It was written around the same time, although not by Shakespeare, but by Spanish playwright Pedro Calderon de la Barca. King Basilio of Poland receives a prophesy before his son is born that he will cause destruction to the land. When Sigismund is born, Basilio has him imprisoned in a tower, where he grows up and lives his life, never knowing who he is. When it comes time for Basilio to name an heir, he decides to give his son a chance to defy fate. He is brought to the palace unconscious and given one day to prove himself a worthy king. If not, Basilio will take him back to the tower, where he will wake up and be told it was all a dream. From which comes the central theme of the show: Is life a dream? And if so, what should we do with that dream, when we know it could be over at any moment?

The cast is wonderful. Dennis Spears plays King Basilio as an elegant and powerful man anyone would gladly follow. Namir Smallwood is his son Sigismund and makes you feel every bit of his torment, rage, and hope. Elise Langer is the comic relief as Clarion the clown, and Maggie Chestovich is Rosaura, the scorned woman who goes on a quest to win (or kill) her love and find her father. She's a spitfire who wields a sword and wears a pretty party dress (check out Maggie's blog to find out more about the places they've performed the show).

The next TTT show is Doubt starring Kris Nelson and Sally Wingert - the Meryl Streep of the Minneapolis/St. Paul theater scene, fresh off of her Broadway debut in La Bete. A must see in my book, as is the last show of the season, Man of LaMancha. If you want to see theater in its purest form, unencumbered by elaborate sets, fancy costumes, or dramatic lighting, go see a Ten Thousand Things show. If you believe in the power of theater to change the world, or at least to make one person's life a little better, support Ten Thousand Things in the work that they do.

Life’s brief
So let us dream.
Let’s all remember
that we must wake up when we least expect it.



Celebrity Sighting
I saw Sarah Agnew sitting in the audience across the aisle from me, watching the play.  She's currently appearing in the uproarious 39 Steps at the Guthrie, where she was doing two shows that day.  In between shows she ran across Washington to take in a little theater.  I ran into her at the bathroom and couldn't resist telling her how much I loved the show, and that I didn't know how the cast didn't crack themselves up every night.  She said they did!

"Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson" on Broadway

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson is a bloody brilliant musical! It’s everything I want musical theater to be: original, challenging, engaging, thrilling, thought-provoking, hilarious, and with a rocking score. This is not your grandmother’s musical, nor is it for kids. But if, like me, you love the art form that is musical theater and believe it can and should make a strong statement about the world we live in, it’s just what the doctor ordered.

Walking into the Jacobs Theater, we knew we were in for an awesome experience. I’ve never seen a theater decked out like this. It was red. Everywhere, everything, red. There were strings of red lights covering the ceiling and walls, which made everything a bloody glow. Portraits of President Andrew Jackson adorned the walls, as did (hopefully faux) animal heads. And in the middle of the theater, hanging upside down, was a dead horse! (I’m glad I didn’t have a seat directly below that.) It set the tone for the evening, and when the actors walked on stage, the lights went down and the show began.



the bloody red Bernard B. Jacobs Theatre

the dead horse hanging in the middle of the theater

Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson tells the story of the seventh president of the United States of America, from his humble beginnings on the frontier of Tennessee, to “hero” of wars against the Spanish, English, and Indians, to the White House. It’s a “period piece,” but with many modern conventions, language, and anachronisms, including microphones, phones, video games, and even a Cosmo magazine. It’s a wonderful mishmash of current popular culture and history, which makes it easy to draw parallels between the story that’s being told about the early 19th century, and our own time.  The show is a political satire that illustrates just how much things haven't changed.  Even though the musical has gone through several years of development, the subject is very timely and some of the jokes refer to events in recent weeks.  I have a feeling they'll continue to add and tweak jokes to reflect the political scandal du jour.

Andrew Jackson has dreams of overthrowing the Washington “elite” and becoming “the people’s president,” but he soon discovers that a president has to make the hard decisions, and is never going to please everyone. “The president doesn’t have the luxury of having friends.” One of the things Jackson is most known for is “Indian removal,” having convinced many Native American tribes to sign treaties and move west, resulting in the infamous Trail of Tears. As the narrator (a hilarious woman in an ugly sweater and glasses, riding a scooter) said, historians are still debating whether Jackson was a hero or a genocidal murderer.

The cast is gorgeous and talented, dressed in a sort of pioneer/modern/hip wardrobe. The action is largely over the top and campy, and a heck of a lot of fun. The score is what they call “emo-rock” and is great to listen to; I’ve been singing “Populism, Yea, Yea,” and “Life sucks, and my life sucks in particular” all day! The band consists of a drummer and two guitar/keyboard players, who also at times function as characters in the action. The choreography was cool and edgy. The show reminded me a little of the equally brilliant Spring Awakening (which I’m going to see in November at the Orpheum Theatre in Minneapolis, go see it if you’re interested in a great modern rock musical). Both are set in a specific time in the past, but the themes easily translate to today. The rock score and use of hand held mics is also similar, but Spring Awakening has a more somber tone, where BBAJ is pure campy fun and dark humor. I hope this show receives the acclaim and success that Spring Awakening did.

After the show we waited at the stage door to talk to the actors. You can tell it’s a new show (it officially opens on October 13 after a few weeks in previews and a successful run at the Public Theater downtown earlier this year).  There wasn’t any organization to the stage door and the actors seemed quite pleased to sign our playbills and chat with us. For many of them, this is their Broadway debut. The entire cast is marvelous; it really is an ensemble piece with everyone playing several parts. I especially enjoyed Bryce Pinkham (who appeared recently at the Guthrie in A View from the Bridge) who plays both Indian chief Black Fox and Henry Clay, a creepy ferret-holding politician. Jeff Hiller (who's appeared on such NY based TV shows as 30 Rock, Guiding Light, and Ugly Betty) is a scene stealer in all of his many roles, including the mentally challenged John Quincy Adams and the White House tour guide. The title role is played by Benjamin Walker with strength, vulnerability, humor, a little wackiness, and a whole lot of charisma. He truly is a rock star president in tight jeans! He was very pleasant and friendly at the stage door and happily posed for a picture with us. Unfortunately he’s engaged – to Meryl Streep’s daughter Mamie Gummer!

me and Kendra with Ben Walker who plays Andrew Jackson

with members of the cast of Bloody Bloody Andrew Jackson

If you’re in NYC or planning to be there anytime soon, go see this show. It’ll blow you away, make you laugh, and make you want to cry at the messed up state of politics 200 years ago and today. And maybe it’ll even get us thinking about a better way to do things. It’s encouraging to me that this show is on Broadway at the same time as Scottsboro Boys. Both shows deal with unpleasant periods in the history of our country and the horrible way we’ve treated people, and still are. Original musical theater as social commentary? I’ll take that over Spiderman the Musical any day!



Update: watch a video about opening night here.