Lauren Rutlin

SO FAR

2012-02-19T18:14:00.001-06:00

For me, the biggest lesson of 2012 (so far) has been about dreams. Not so much motivating myself to pursue my own - I'm enjoying moving pretty much full speed ahead on that front of late - but on how others react to and support (or don't) my goals. It's an excellent lesson in staying on track and focused even when you're the only one who sees the vision actualized in the future.

In short (and in an effort to protect the poorly behaved), people in my life from whom I expected to find excitement or just caring about some of my new ventures have written the projects (and me?) off. I'll be honest: it stings. It feels like a denial of part of me as a person, and to an extent it directly affects how I feel about, and how much I trust, the people in my life.

The way I see it, it's really easy to protect the status quo. People in your life might have all kinds of reasons for doing so - fear that you'll leave them behind, shame at not pursuing their own dreams, desire for things to stay the same, inability to comprehend something outside of the norm - and they probably don't realize they're doing it. It doesn't mean you should let people go at your dreams unabated, but it does mean you can (and should) shrug it off and attribute it clearly (to yourself) as "their problem."

While I'm not a proponent of revenge, I do think the other way to respond is a good old-fashioned, I'll show you. I freely admit to silently logging those who give me disbelieving or, worse, placating looks (after I take a small - but rare - personal risk and tell them what I'm working on, no less!) and imagining how it will feel when they see my project come to fruition. There's no need for smugness or ego trips, but some healthy motivation can come from telling yourself you're going to make something happen that very few others believe is possible.

The other hidden benefit in all of this is that you'll be pleasantly surprised when someone shows up in your life who does care about your goals and believe you'll make them happen. Within the assembly line of haters, these folks stand out, and are very worth engaging as collaborators, mentors, or just key members of your network. I'll admit to being so surprised I got slightly choked up recently when, for the first time in a very long time, someone clearly communicated to me a strong belief in my future and unwavering support of my professional path. I won't take it for granted and I'll return the favor.

Returning the favor can be done preemptively, too. Whether it's a young person in your life, or someone who has denied a dream for a long time, think about what you'd want in their situation and say it or do it. It's karmic. And even if you never got back what you gave, wouldn't it still be sweet to be the person who moves another with your kindness? Yeah, it would.

RESOLVE

2011-12-29T23:56:00.000-06:00

I'm not a big fan of New Year's resolutions. I'm all for constant goal-setting and planning for the future (as absolutely anyone who knows me can attest), but connecting it to the turn of the calendar seems arbitrary and thus especially difficult to uphold. While some find ways to make resolutions practical and manageable - Suze Orman does this well for the January 2012 O - I and others find them to mostly highlight deficiencies and add unnecessary weight to very human shoulders.

May I make an alternate suggestion? Instead of deciding now who to be next year, take the opportunity to take stock of the year almost-past. Record accomplishments, surprises, progress and moments of joy. I did this for the first time this year and a few things happened. I remembered special moments from 2011 that otherwise might have remained buried in my mind, stuck under current to-do lists and plans. I replaced that nagging fear of remaining stagnant for just a little while with pride in what I was able to get out and do in 365 days. I got even more excited about ongoing projects after reviewing where they started and where I/we want them to go.

My list includes everything from paying off a large chunk of debt to securing my first freelance writing gig to getting my first tattoo. I limited myself to 10 items (okay, later I added a bonus #11) so that I wouldn't pressure myself to think of everything. I tried to vary the areas of my life to which each item applied so that my list was well-rounded (e.g. was not skewed to mostly professional changes and milestones). And I wrote the whole thing in a sketchbook with many colored pens so that the list itself is as vibrant as the experiences it references.

What's on your list for 2011?

COMMUNITY

2011-12-11T11:25:00.001-06:00

A word about community theater.

I am about as big of a Broadway snob as they come. (I'm sorry, it's true.) But even I make a point to see all kinds of productions, from Off-Broadway to Fringe to local productions of both established works and originals. Sometimes it's because I know the people putting on the production, sometimes it's because I love the show, and sometimes it's just to support local theater. My favorite community theater moments have been when I am delivered a huge dose of humility about my Broadway-centered-ness. Nothing is better than a killer production with local talent that exceeds your every expectation.

Luckily for me and my community, that has happened twice in the past month.

Photo: Nick Berard

Forward Theater Company's The Farnsworth Invention was a masterpiece. The intricacy of Aaron Sorkin's language and the depth of plot detail would have stumped almost any other group of actors and creative staff, but this incredible ensemble staged a gripping, intelligent, moving piece of theater. I was enthralled and left in a state which is incredibly rare for me: speechless.

Photo: Greg Anderson

Four Seasons Theatre's RENT was the regional theater premiere of Jonathan Larson's bohemian rock opera. It is a personal favorite of mine - a staple in my all-time top three musicals - and this particular production was honestly one of the best I've ever seen. This cast was awe-inspiring, their habitation of their characters so complete I forgot the familiar faces and simply fell into their story. I can't stop thinking about how excellent it was, and I can rarely say that - even about Broadway shows.

MAKING NOISE

2011-12-07T20:30:00.001-06:00

The fact that these videos came out on the same day just felt so right to me. They are both must-see.

TWO-MINUTE BROADWAY REVIEWS

2011-10-30T14:17:00.000-05:00

For the last few years, I've visited New York every October. It is the perfect time of year in the city, with beautiful weather and a rush of fall theater openings. This time around, a friend and I achieved a special feat - seeing five shows in three days (and for a grand total of $150). It was, to say the least, an incredible weekend.

Here's what we saw and what I thought:

FOLLIES
(Friday evening)
The best: Jan Maxwell, Jane Houdyshell's "Broadway Baby," the mirror dance, staging, costumes, set design, lighting. Showgirls in awe-inspiring costumes haunted the action. A cast of some seriously impressive women filled the stage with an ensemble power rarely glimpsed onstage anymore. The past and present intertwined beautifully both in image and in storytelling. And I'm still thinking about Ms. Maxwell's incredible dramatic performance.
The not-so-good: Not much. I was somewhat conflicted about the show-within-a-show staging in Act Two, but I mostly came around to it.
Rating: 9/10

GODSPELL
(Saturday matinee)
The best: The astoundingly tight and talented young cast, Telly Leung's impressions and piano playing, "By My Side," audience interaction. This cast sets the bar for all other young casts on- and off-Broadway, now and in the future. Inventive and modern staging support both plot clarity and the pure fun of the show. The fourth wall is shattered so completely even Hair's interactivity pales in comparison. Challenging content is dealt with thoughtfully and via spirituality rather than religion.
The not-so-good: I never expected to willingly see a reenacted crucifixion; I am still dubious about that choice and experience. At times, the music felt staid and appeared to be holding the show - and especially cast - back.
Rating: 7/10

SISTER ACT
(Saturday evening)
The best: Sarah Bolt, dancing nuns, Catholic humor, glitter. Whoever cast Ms. Bolt in Kathy Najimy's original role gets a gold star - she's perfect. The best moments all involve the choir of nuns performing. And the only show with more sparkles is Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, which means Sister Act has ample eye candy.
The not-so-good: Pacing, consistency, leads hitting their high notes. I was not a fan of the changes to the plot from the original movie, and I felt they spent too much time on Deloris' many conflicts and not enough on the nuns getting musical. There were many very flat moments in both certain performances and certain belted notes.
Rating: 5/10

SPIDER-MAN: TURN OFF THE DARK
(Sunday matinee)
The best: Everything aerial, costumes, lead actors. The flying was slow to come, but when it finally appeared, it brought tears to my eyes; it was an incredible effect and spectacle. The villains' costumes were stunning. Reeve Carney, Jennifer Damiano, and Patrick Page make the very most of their roles through terrific performances.
The not-so-good: Everything else. The book and music are mostly muddled and, even more unfortunately, often boring. The female roles are laughably weak in the few places they do exist. The land choreography was glaringly bad, seemingly half-assed in both design and execution.
Rating: 3/10

THE BLUE FLOWER
(Sunday evening)
*Off-Broadway at 2econd Stage Theatre
The best: The entire ensemble's performance, all of the music, the new language created within the show. It's really easier to say what didn't work than what did with this piece. I was riveted for the entire show and felt it was mostly perfect. The book is intelligent and intricate, the music delicate and beautiful, the performances so good I forgot they were performances at all. (Special props to Aaron Serotsky, who performed the lead role so brilliantly that I was a bit offended he was the understudy.)
The not-so-good: Change the title (I suggest "Poof Poof Poof Poof") and whittle away the German avant-garde theater bits for length and clarity and the show is absolutely golden.
Rating: 9/10

WRITING FOR AMERICA

2011-08-13T10:28:00.000-05:00

My brilliant friend Lauren (such a great name) started her brand spanking new job this week and it's pretty much one of the coolest jobs on the planet. She's a writer for Obama for America and is already all over the OFA 2012 blog. Take a gander at her recent look at diversity and the federal courts ...

The whole blog is excellent, capturing news out of the west wing, stories from OFA's organizers, and so much more, like the highly entertaining recent looks at the GOP debates. Check the cloud of occasionally important but mostly ridiculous things mentioned at the latest debate, below.

Head on over to check the blog out for yourself. And while you're at it, leave a comment. You may just end up writing the comment of the day!

EVERY LITTLE STEP

2011-08-05T06:52:00.004-05:00

This is overdue:

New York, I thought I couldn't possibly love you any more than I did. Now I do.

Hair, I thought I couldn't possibly love you any more than I did. Now I do.

With more than one tear in my eye, I say congratulations, everyone.

NO PARE

2011-07-31T11:24:00.002-05:00

This is a love letter to a musical.

I first saw the Broadway production of In The Heights in the spring of 2008. The time was pre-Tonys, before the best acceptance speech ever delivered and before two million people learned Lin-Manuel Miranda's name for a completely different reason. At the time, I was pushing myself to complete college in a compressed time frame so that I could afford to finish. I was close, but still had a 16-credit summer session looming and tuition bills I couldn't pay. Broadway was - and is - the only way that I could completely clear my head and fill it with music, energy and a fantastic story. I was way up in the cheap seats, which had become a de facto student section. I had read little about the show and had no idea what to expect.

From the opening line of "Lights up on Washington Heights," I was hooked. From the second song, this musical had wedged its way into my heart so completely that I forgot the crowd and the fact that it was 8:30pm on a Thursday night in April. Suddenly it was the Fourth of July and I was outside on the hottest day of the year in a forgotten neighborhood on the upper tip of Manhattan.

At the time, Nina's struggle to stay in and pay for college felt like a plot ripped from my life. "When I was a child I stayed wide awake/Climbed to the highest place on every fire escape, restless to climb/I got every scholarship, saved every dollar, the first to go to college ..." I could barely breathe realizing that someone else felt the pressure and responsibility that I experienced. I listened to Nina's song multiple times a day, every day in my dorm room until I graduated.

As I've made my way, Vanessa's desire to move up and out and on feels as true and urgent as ever. I live next to an airport, and every time a plane rumbles overhead, I smile and think of Vanessa. "The elevated train by my window doesn't faze me anymore/The rattling screams don't disrupt my dreams/It's a lullaby, in its way." My guests can't tolerate the noise, but I don't mind, oh no. The planes carry my dreams and strike me as nothing less than shooting stars.

Over the years I've found out just how timeless In The Heights' music and story really are. It's the only album, Broadway and non- alike, that makes any sense when it's 95 degrees outside, so it's the soundtrack of my summer, every summer. My favorite song is "Blackout." The intermingling of the multi-meaninged themes of fireworks, blackout, heat and powerlessness is so expertly crafted and so BIG I find new moments inside of it every time I listen. Usnavi is on the top of the list of the greatest narrators in musical history (matched only by Drowsy Chaperone's Man in Chair) and his words ring in my head constantly as if - luck of all luck - he's narrating my life.

I saw In the Heights most recently when taking a group of college students who happen to be very talented artists to see the touring production. At intermission, their words were racing: "Oh my god, I AM Nina." "I didn't know theater could sound like this." "Do you think I could play Sonny?" "Look - one of the actors in the ensemble is Hawai'ian like me!" During the finale, I watched their faces instead of the stage, because the awe and possibility was just too beautiful.

MY NATIONAL HOLIDAY

2011-06-10T08:24:00.121-05:00

This Sunday, June 12, is the 2011 Tony Awards ceremony. A lot has been written, especially in the last few years, about what the Tonys mean. The general refrain is that unlike the Grammys, Oscars, or Emmys, which honor art forms to which many Americans have plentiful access, the Tonys honor Broadway, to which most Americans do not have ready and frequent access. Whether you care about Broadway or not, are a fan or not, one night a year is all the chance most people get to see what's happening on the New York stage. This is all very true and very important, especially to those who wait all year for this single glimpse at world-class theater.

But there is something else about these awards that I think is equally unique. The artists nominated (and thousands who were not nominated) create a brand new performance every night. The artistry and, really, athleticism involved in giving a world-class performance eight times a week is simply stunning. There are no second takes, no "We'll fix that in post," no CGI embellishment of a performance. It is only what can be created in that moment (and reproduced nightly) by human beings (and, in the case of sets, lighting and orchestrations, how humans can manipulate technology). I'm not aiming to ask why more people don't appreciate theater over other mediums, or to argue why theater is somehow better. I'm simply explaining why the Tonys are special and the work they honor is truly worthy of celebration.

At this year's awards, on the musicals' side, there are really two exceptional works who should split all of the awards (except those for actresses): Scottsboro Boys and Book of Mormon. You can check out how my picks broke down over at my New York Times Tony ballot, and I would only note that it wasn't a random breakdown between the two; I considered each category individually and in my estimation, the shows truly edge each other out as noted. I'd love to see Scottsboro come back to Broadway, so I'm hoping it gets a Tony boost to be able to do that, but it deserves every award it may receive, completely independent of that agenda. Interestingly, both of these musicals have been considered somewhat risky (though in very different ways) and are occasionally deemed offensive. I appreciate that the shows successfully breaking conventions and trying new things are receiving the recognition they deserve.

Scottsboro Boys' "Hey, Hey, Hey, Hey." (Book of Mormon does not make performance videos available online.)

Other nomination notes:

Sutton Foster is the only reason the revival of Anything Goes works, and she deserves the Tony in a competitive category for that fact alone.
Laura Benanti must win Best Actress in a Featured Role. She's in a league of her own this year. And Patti LuPone didn't deserve her nomination (I'm sorry, but it's true), so a Patti win in that category would be the only result at which I would be truly upset.
Notable omissions in acting categories were Nick Adams in Priscilla, Queen of the Desert and Aaron Tveit in Catch Me If You Can. If Aaron were nominated in the Actor in a Leading Role category, my vote for the win would switch to him.

Finally, I'd be remiss if I failed to mention that my biggest cheers of the night will be reserved for Colman Domingo. Win or lose (although he's going to win), I'm thrilled for what this experience will mean for the bright, bright future of his career.

Join me in watching the Tonys on Sunday, June 12 at 8/7C, and follow me on Twitter @onelauren for live tweets during the show!

REVIEW: CATCH ME IF YOU CAN ON BROADWAY

2011-06-06T20:44:00.185-05:00

How (Much)
$90, TheaterMania discount. I had come up just short of the rush earlier in the week and didn't want to risk missing this show on my last day in the city! I was amazed to see that I scored fantastic ninth row right orchestra seats.

Who
Just me! (Though one of my favorite Broadway stars was in the row directly in front of me, so, as with attending with a friend, it was fun to glance over occasionally to see how he was enjoying the show.)

What
I had heard a lot about Catch Me If You Can before seeing it. The general consensus was that it had all of the necessary building blocks, but somehow those didn't come together and Catch Me just didn't have IT, the elusive factor that creates the electric feeling of " a ... HIT!" Still, I went in with high hopes. The people involved, from cast to creative team, seemed like too great a team to create a flop. (Insert Women on the Verge reference here.)

My final verdict? Back off, haters, because this one's a rave.

Catch Me If You Can is absolutely delightful. Catchy and exuberant music and choreography combine with an engrossing and quick-moving plot and completely winning performances to create an infectious and thoroughly enjoyable show. It felt, most of all, like this team successfully combined the old-fashioned musical with the modern musical, creating a show that didn't break any molds or do anything brand new, but rather took the old model and tweaked it until it worked for 2011. That is a feat, to be sure, and I loved every minute of it.

I had never seen the film, so those whispers I heard at intermission from audience members who felt this strayed too far didn't mean anything to me. What I found was a story set mostly in the past that still felt very fresh thanks to Aaron Tveit as Frank Abagnale, Jr. (more on him in a moment). Young Frank learns early on that amazing things happen when you not just pretend you're someone you're not but actually believe it yourself, and the unbelievability of his adventures as an (unlicensed) pilot, doctor, lawyer and more are rivaled only by his exploits' real-life repercussions for his father, the FBI agent assigned to his fraud case, and the many other lives he affected.

The core conceit here is that young Frank is telling the audience the story, jumping in and out of narrating and participating in the action. It works because of Frank's showmanship - it's not a stretch at all to believe that the intricate song and dance that was his life would manifest in literal song and dance. As Frank, Tveit's musical numbers are ebullient, over-the-top, and dripping with charisma. Likewise, the deeper FBI agent Carl Hanratty (Norbert Leo Butz) gets into Frank's case, the more fantastical his performances get. It's a clever tool to show how far Hanratty has fallen into Frank's rabbit hole. The book and music combine seamlessly to illustrate how the two men have impacted each other's lives, and only rarely move too far beyond a subtle guiding hand through this complicated relationship.

As Hanratty, Norbert Leo Butz is every bit as good as you'd expect him to be. It's too bad there aren't more words available to compliment his performance, but the reality is that at his level, the only thing I can say is that he met my tremendous expectations. Tom Wopat, who was excellent in the easily forgotten personal favorite A Catered Affair, is once again spot-on as Frank Abagnale, Sr., equal parts washed-up sponge and sympathetic, well-intentioned has-been. Wopat simply makes you feel his character's flawed pain like few other actors. And Kerry Butler, who I regrettably prefer to avoid after being scarred by her baffling performance in the unfortunate Xanadu, is used to the best possible extent in her few scenes with Frank and her family to the point that I enjoyed her presence in the show, something I frankly never thought I'd say.

And then there's Aaron Tveit. Why this young man has escaped Tony nominators' radar twice now (for Catch Me and for his haunting performance as Gabe in Next to Normal) is completely beyond me. In Catch Me, he is pitch-perfect (vocally and figuratively). I haven't seen another performer on Broadway this season who has the show on his or her shoulders the way Tveit does, and he makes it look effortless. He oozed charisma, made the complicated Frank, Jr. eminently likable while still deeply flawed, and absolutely carried every second of the show. I can't say enough about his performance or how boggled I am that it has failed to be recognized in this awards season. Tveit is magnificent in this production and even if the rest of the show were awful, his performance alone would be worth a full-price ticket.

If You Like

Old-school Broadway musicals with big production numbers and big band tunes
Hairspray (from the same composers), in all of its colorful period piece charm
Shows with a bit of light crime mystery to them, in the vein of Anything Goes (though it's done better in Catch Me)

Bottom Line
Go, go, go! Catch Me If You Can ended up charming me in a way I never would have expected, making me believe in the future of the non-genre-busting modern musical. Yes, if you want to be shocked or need an in to Broadway if you don't normally like musical theater, you should go see the excellent Book of Mormon. But if you want to see what the classical musical looks like in the twenty-first century, rush on over to the Neil Simon Theatre and prepare for an extravagantly satisfying few hours.

REVIEW: PRISCILLA QUEEN OF THE DESERT ON BROADWAY

2011-04-24T16:15:00.012-05:00

How (Much)
$80, TheaterMania discount. After losing the rush one evening, I really wanted to see this show and needed to stay on schedule for five shows in five days by seeing something that night. So I Googled discounts on my phone and found a solid discount from TheaterMania and showed the page to the person at the box office directly on my phone. He had one orchestra seat left for that night and I took it. It was on the far left aisle of the center orchestra, last row. The sightlines were good, but more happened in the air (far above the stage) than I expected, all of which was cut off by the mezzanine overhang. If I were to see the show again, I'd make an effort to secure an unobstructed view of everything above the stage.

Who
Just me, which ended up working out well when I went to the single ticket option. I did meet a new friend in the rush line, though!

What
I've come to the conclusion that you must approach Priscilla Queen of the Desert as a drag show tricked out for Broadway. Unlike La Cage, which is most definitely a Broadway show with a drag-based plotline, Priscilla is really a drag show that was adapted to its Broadway venue. This may seem to be a small distinction, but it means a lot for the plot, music and general tone of the show. I'll explain.

Priscilla centers on Tick (Mitzi when he's in drag) - played by a completely committed Will Swenson - who is one of the biggest drag queens in Sydney, Australia. Tick receives a call from his wife asking if he'll come visit his son and, to sweeten the deal, she asks him to bring some friends and do a stand of shows at her ailing casino deep in the Australian outback. Tick ropes in the young and feisty Adam (Felicia) and coaxes Bernadette, a somewhat legendary drag performer who is now semi-retired and a full-time woman, to join him. They hop in an old bus they name Priscilla and hit the road.

I have no problem buying this plot at face value, but in the show it felt thin. This was in part because it was abandoned for up to 15 minutes at a time for outsized musical numbers while the jumps from serious plot to musical numbers felt more and more like wild mood swings with little to no transitions. It was also because the consistency was often questionable. I never fully believed that the incredibly sweet and caring Tick could truly never have visited his son before. It felt wildly out of character. A loss in Bernadette's life is rushed through and so covered in jokes that it never quite registered, and the subsequent plot about moving on then lost much of its weight. And when Adam endures an awful experience during the trip, the seriousness doesn't feel adequately addressed because (surprise!) there's another big production to get to. One sidenote of a character, a mail-order bride, apparently thrilled the rest of the audience with her humor but left me shaking my head, wondering why she was there and what I had missed that might make me enjoy her.

The issues presented in Priscilla are far too important to abandon and I think there is a way to address them adequately while still presenting an excellent round of showstopping numbers. However, I don't think this is possible in a show so committed to being a drag show. I hate to say it, but at this level of spectacle you have to choose between the productions and the plot. One has to bow to the other. Priscilla has chosen the spectacle but tried to fit in a fully realized plot anyway, which results in abruptly cutting off the emotional resonance of important moments and not giving all of the characters' experiences and transformations the breathing space they need to feel whole and complete. I left those moments confused, second-guessing my interpretations, and feeling the awkwardness of a stunted resonant moment.

This said, as a larger-than-life drag show (is there really any other kind?), Priscilla succeeds pretty spectacularly. The humor is bawdy and clever - I worried I'd hear tired drag puns repurposed for a Broadway crowd, but the book feels fresh. The music is arranged well, always to maximum effect, sometimes in an unexpected way and sometimes in typical showstopper fashion. I appreciated the fullness of the sound produced by a cast that belts very well across the board. I missed the abundant solos I expected from the show's three stars. Only Nick Adams as Adam/Felicia got the spotlight enough to satisfy my expectations (more on his performance in a moment). As in a true drag show, the stars often lip-synched to the big numbers or saw their voices disappear in the swell of the ensemble. As much as I understand that the lip synch was crucial to the drag show conceit, I wanted to hear individual voices, especially Will Swenson's, much more than I did. The raunchy costuming and choreography, meanwhile, was perfectly suited to a drag show and succeeded unequivocally.

Casting was on point across the board. Will Swenson jumped from Berger in Hair to Tick so successfully and seemingly effortlessly that I am beginning to believe he has unlimited range. Swenson simply is love, giving a generous, engaged, beautiful performance that carried both the plot and the show's emotional core. Also, nice legs. Tony Sheldon as Bernadette was less overtly impressive than I expected but rather turned in an understated performance in which he was simply a lovely woman, inside and out, period.

Meanwhile, Nick Adams is giving the performance of his life in all three triple-threat categories. He is the breakout star here, and no one could accuse him of giving anything less than 120% every moment or of letting the energy drop even a fraction on his watch. I was in awe of him in a way I only am when I see something I never in a million years expected could come out of a performer. Now I not only expect his Tony nomination like I expect my daily mail, but I also imagine his many future leading man roles as inevitabilities. Well done, Mr. Adams. I can't end on any other note because what filled my head after the show was all him.

If You Like

La Cage, though if you haven't seen either, see La Cage first
Torch Song Trilogy, the only show I can think of that adequately dealt with the issues Priscilla raises
Hairspray and other big, shiny, candy-colored explosions in musical form

Bottom Line
The excellent performances and spectacle of it all are certainly worthwhile, but the only groundbreaking thing here is an It Gets Better-type message in musical form. The value of that can't be overstated, you just should be aware at the outset that you're seeing a drag show with a throughline and not expect any different.

REVIEW: ANYTHING GOES ON BROADWAY

2011-04-23T19:45:00.003-05:00

How (Much)

Hiptix, $22. Google Hiptix and get a load of the single best way any theater company is actively attracting and retaining young patrons. The seat was far from the stage in the far right section of the mezzanine, but the sightlines in the American Airlines theater are pretty exceptional. You just can't be too squeamish about the steepness of the section (or, you know, get vertigo easily).

Who
Just me! (That's a Hiptix tip - as happened to me, often they end up with just one left for a given night and you can luck out if you go alone.)

What
I must admit that I love modern musicals, specifically rock musicals. I have long been accused of neglecting the classics and anything written before 1964. I am frankly not taken with most revivals of anything from Broadway's Golden Age. I say this at the outset not because I went into the show expecting to hate it (far from it), but because I feel that having my predispositions out in the open helps put my thoughts in context. If you love period musicals, by all means, read on and put my observations in your own perspective.

The plot of Anything Goes places a gangster and various members of society's upper crust on a boat and lets the romance, deception and mistaken identity fly. The storyline cannot be deemed modern; it is at best a classic farce, at worst hokey and predictable. It feels more timeless than South Pacific, especially with the gorgeously slick contemporary set, but still drags with jokes about Chinese men rrr-ing their Ls and tired sight gags (spoiler: disguises abound and include animal fur as facial hair). I'm super nerdy and love a good pun, but this book was so full of hilariously lame wordplay that I often felt as if the audience and the cast were laughing at the book together rather than it being truly entertaining of its own accord.

The real star here is director and choreographer Kathleen Marshall for the exceptional full cast numbers. Whatever the book and lyrics lack in complexity or impressiveness is momentarily forgotten when 30 dancers tap an intricate number for 10 minutes. These performances feel like the best of classic Broadway and are as breathtaking as anything on 42nd Street right now. The dance numbers are undoubtedly the show's highlight.

The other highlight, completely unsurprisingly, is Sutton Foster. She is radiant as Reno Sweeney. I felt as I did during Millie that this was a role she was born to play. There was a palpable drop in energy in the venue whenever Reno was offstage and everyone (onstage and off) lit up whenever she returned. Honestly, the only good thing about her departures was that each meant a new extraordinary costume change (Reno's wardrobe alone merits a Tony nomination for costme designer Martin Pakledinaz).

As for the rest of the cast, Laura Osnes was a standout as Hope Harcourt. She is perfectly cast and simply lovely. Colin Donnell as Billy Crocker is exactly what he needs to be and nothing more. Most ineteresting to me was Joel Grey's performance, which felt like a swan song. His Moonface Martin is adorable, impish, loveable, understated, and yet somehow Grey gives the impression that while he is really thrilled to be here with everyone, he is about ready to hang up his hat if you all don't mind, thank you very much.

Overall, I felt Anything Goes had enough strengths in its revival staging to balance out the thinness of the original book, lyrics and even some of Cole Porter's music (which is thin for the sake of advancing the plot and serving the story, not on its own musical merit). Roundabout did everything it possibly could to support and enhance this production and the results are very solid. I'm just not completely convinced that this was the best possible show to revive, unless the entire goal was to see Sutton as Reno, which I can completely understand and to which I say simply, "Job well done."

If You Like

Thoroughly Modern Millie, or wished you had seen the revival, because they have more than a little in common
South Pacific and other nautically-themed classics
The Drowsy Chaperone's colorful cast of characters, physical comedy and frequent cases of mistaken identity

Bottom Line
See it if you've never seen Sutton Foster perform live. See it for the Act I closer alone if you like good old-fashioned full-cast tap breaks. But if you're just looking for a great musical, there are many more creative, unique and fun musicals (with something to say) opening this season.

Bonus Spoiler Plot Question
Why would Reno Sweeney fall for the John Waters guy? I didn't buy that for a minute.

REVIEW: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES ON BROADWAY

2011-04-22T13:43:00.003-05:00

Note: While La Cage closes on Broadway on May 1, I have heard since I've been in New York that it will reopen soon Off-Broadway, so I hope this review is of use to those who see it in its home after the Longacre. Perhaps the iteration I saw will even provide a glimpse into the direction/trajectory of the show for its Off-Broadway life.

How (Much)

TKTS, $103, front mezzanine. I never pay that much and am always a rush/lottery theatergoer (as a result of my own budget, not the value I place on the work). Two factors made me break my rules: 1) I've rushed La Cage before and did not like the view from the box seats (way too much action was cut off, including a bewitching Cagelles birdcage routine), and 2) Harvey Fierstein. I felt I had to see him in this role so I did what I needed to do to make it happen. The third-row, center-left mezzanine seat was solid - sightlines were fine, nothing spectacular but pretty much what you would expect from those seats.

Who
Just me!

What
On this, my second viewing of La Cage, I've become convinced that this piece - which is anchored by a simple but strong score and witty book - is a work of art in the right hands. I saw the Kelsey Grammar/Douglas Hodge iteration and was not at all taken by Grammar's stiff, completely disengaged Georges and Hodge's overwraught, whiny and unlikeable Albin/Zaza. If you've seen "The Birdcage," you know these characters can be played with exceptional humanity, grace and complexity, but none of that was on display the last time I saw the stage version. Everything changed this time around.

One of my favorite things about Harvey Fierstein is that he is known for being completely over-the-top (people hear Harvey and think Edna Turnblad) but he is actually a very subtle, careful actor. So yes, he is fabulous in drag (and the incredible disconnect between his voice and his look never ceases to be hilarious), but the true gems of his performance are the little things - his reactions to betrayals large and small, his moments of resolve to help even those who have hurt him, and, most of all, the love he shows for his partner Georges. I truly believed their long-term, mature relationship this time, and it singlehandedly made the rest of the plot work. In short, Harvey Fierstein was enchanting and utterly delightful to witness and I could hardly take my eyes off of him.

The other half of this onstage couple was Christopher Sieber as Georges. Sieber is another longtime favorite and I've always appreciated the way he brings great complexity to characters that would be easy caricatures (the buffoon, the villain). He didn't disappoint this time around, carrying the plot on his able shoulders with great energy and engagement along with a strong emotional core. Wilson Jermaine Heredia was another standout, taking on the butler/maid role with the requisite pizzazz without devolving into cloying or incomprehensible.

I was glad to see another change from the last time I saw La Cage, which was the addition of different drag body types for the Cagelles. I always wondered why they went exclusively with what seems to be the Broadway drag standard - tall, muscled men with pecs hanging out of costumes that only highlight their bodies' every masculine quality - instead of featuring a wide range of drag styles, from standard ultra-feminine (the height of illusion) to gender-bending and androgynous. This time, the Cagelles featured slightly more of a range, which I appreciated for its realness. I was not a fan of using a female understudy for a missing Cagelle, however. Takes a bit of the energy out of, "What we are is an illusion." Otherwise, halleloo for the Cagelles.

After all of the talk of performances and portrayals, discussing the plot sounds like an afterthought, but it's important if only to highlight the one lingering concern I have about La Cage. Albin and Georges own a drag nightclub in 1970s France. Georges' son stops by, announcing that he is getting married to the daughter of a right-wing politician and they are coming over for dinner immediately. He demands his family become acceptable to his future in-laws by redecorating, inviting his biological mother (who has never been a part of his life) over for the meal, and banishing the ultra-embarrassing Albin. Incredibly insensitive and insulting, yes, and alternating offenses and hijinks ensue.

It's the setting that is the sticking point for me. I rarely support modern interpretations of classic or resetting shows to the modern day, but I think it would really work here. I find the French and period references constant stumbling blocks to comprehension. They sound antiquated and superfluous. Besides, this storyline is completely at home in the modern day. Take the Miami Beach setting the makers of the film version expertly chose and make the politican a member of the religious right (or even the Tea Party), a John McCain or John Boehner-type. I think it would eliminate the distracting and confusing French details and occassionally cringe-worthy styling (Georges' maroon velvet dinner jacket is my first nominee) while simultaneously giving the story an urgency it deserves.

If You Like

Priscilla Queen of the Desert, because everyone should know their history
The irresistible combination of garishness and heart in shows like Hairspray
The actors in the lead roles, because the casting really takes this show from hit to miss and back again

Bottom Line
See it for the beautiful score and book, and hope that they cast it well moving forward Off-Broadway.

REVIEW: BOOK OF MORMON ON BROADWAY

2011-04-20T09:48:00.011-05:00

How (Much)

Lottery rush two and a half hours before curtain. I was surprised by the crowd so early in the run, but realized while waiting that it's exactly the type of show that would draw a devoted audience (funny in a way that appeals to a younger crowd, and also likely to engender a cult following like Avenue Q and "South Park"). I would estimate the crowd swelled to between 250 and 300 people by 6pm on Tuesday, and I won the first pair of seats in the left box (the first 14 are in the front row of the orchestra) for $32 each. I only missed about 5 total minutes of action upstage right, and it was all easy to surmise and with characters we had already met and knew. The box seats are so close to the stage that I felt like I was in the action - I'd highly recommend them.

Who
I went with a longtime friend who is also up for absolutely anything content-wise and loves to laugh; she was the perfect companion.

What
Writers Matt Stone, Trey Parker and Robert Lopez are known, of course, for Avenue Q and "South Park." This show is exactly what a cross between those two shows would look like if you took out the puppets and added Mormons. I am not a big "South Park" fan but grew to love Avenue Q over its run (it was so hyped up to me about being so edgy and hilarious that when I saw it I felt it didn't warrant the hype, but loved it on its own accord later on). I loved Book of Mormon. I don't know that I've ever laughed so hard and so consistently through a Broadway show. Mormon is clever without trying to hard to flash its cleverness, joyful and fun in the midst of oddly heavy plot points and, most surprisingly, simple in its celebration of the form of the modern musical and the nature of faith, religious or otherwise.

I would introduce the humor with this: it's a challenge to make topics like female circumcision, the rape of babies, genocide and AIDS funny. This leads to some laughs being more covering-my-mouth-and-shaking-my-head uncomfortable laughter than true this-is-simply-hilarious laughter. But there's quite a bit of the latter, too; you just have to be willing to revel in the nontraditional content. The cast sings a "Hakuna Matata"-style "fuck you, God," celebrates a man with perennial maggots in his scrotum, and tells a young Mormon with homosexual thoughts to simply "turn it off." Simply put, the humor isn't for everyone. But if you're willing to give off-color content and religious revisionism a shot, you'll be rewarded with a musical brimming with heart and joy.

I'm cautious to share anything at all about a show's plot, especially here when nearly every reveal is a monstruous laugh, but I'll say this: Young Mormon men are preparing to be sent on their missions, and Elder Price has been praying for years to be sent to a certain U.S. city that he believes is one of the most incredible places on earth. Instead, he is sent to Uganda and paired with the screw up of the group, a kind compulsive liar without any friends. The crisis of faith this produces - "Why didn't Heavenly Father answer my prayers?" - and the young men's Ugandan missionary experience form the central plot of the show.

Josh Gad (as the loveable screw up) clearly leads this cast. He has an infectious energy and an offbeat sense of humor perfect for the show and for being the audience's anchor through this adventure. I appreciated that he was always on - I found myself cracking up at little things (facial expressions, small gifts to other actors) he did while action was elsewhere. He was not distracting, just always in service of the show at the moment.

Beyond Gad, there isn't a weak spot in the entire ensemble. The casting director managed to find almost a dozen young, fresh-faced white boys who all looked like they had never left Provo while remaining charming, eminently likeable and versatile enough to play a number of very unique parts. (It wasn't lost on this audience member that all Mormon women were portrayed by men in drag. Nice touch, team.) It was also a joy to see some former Hair standouts and a Wicked favorite (Tommar Wilson, Michael James Scott, Asmeret Ghebremichael) shine in fun, creative roles.

If You Like

Avenue Q, but don't mind losing the puppets and being significantly more offended by the content
The Drowsy Chaperone's method of entertaining you with a traditional musical with its tongue firmly in its cheek because it is also making one giant ironic comment about musicals
The way a show like Shrek subtly and not-so-subtly sends up other musicals

Bottom Line
See it. I feel strongly about theater challenging our beliefs and political correctness, so I would recommend Book of Mormon even to those I thought might be offended by it. I'm not convinced it's the place to take business colleagues you don't know well or potential in-laws you're trying to impress, but if you can go with someone open-minded with whom you can have a great conversation afterward, make a beeline to the Eugene O'Neill Theater. I've seen a number of exceptional shows this season and I feel Book of Mormon is a strong Tony contender (and deservedly so).

BREAKING OUT

2011-04-18T20:29:00.004-05:00

This year's Line Breaks Festival, featuring a record nine straight evenings of original theater, wrapped up on Saturday night. While I'm still working to catch up on sleep, before I move on to other projects I want to reflect on a few of the many things of which I am proud from this year's event.

1. We upped the ante in terms of venue and technical capabilities. The Overture Center for the Arts, besides being a great place to work - with excellent staff and stellar facilities - has a great reputation locally. We joined an elite group in presenting there, allowed our venue to reflect the talent of our students, and saw our performers rise to the level of the space they commanded. Technically, we were able to do so much more and involve talented professionals in creating the vision of the pieces.

2. We focused on First Wave. In past years we have invited many spectacular guest artists, who did the festival great justice, but this year we had just one (see point number three). We had enough excellent content written and performed by First Wave students to program the entire festival and we wanted most of the focus to be on them. We succeeded, but even more, they succeeded.

3. We presented a professional artist's world premiere. It would be enough if we could just say that, because getting a full-length, fully-produced theatrical performance off the ground for the very first time is a feat. But the piece, The Limp, written and performed by Rafael Casal, is truly exceptional and has such a bright future. It is thoughtful and thought-provoking, honest and raw, and both youthful and wise. The script slayed me when I first read it, and the full production completely exceeded my expectations. The additions of Director Chris Walker's choreography and staging and the Getback Band's (Max Miller-Loran, Chukwudi Hodge, Josh Hari) affecting themes took it to yet another level. I was honored to be able to help produce the piece (including going very method on the set design, pictured) and hope to be a part of its incredible future.

Line Breaks lives on as the art performed in the festival is presented elsewhere and as the conversations begun at the festival continue long after it. And that's why I do it.

ON "GETTING" AN ALBUM

2011-03-24T20:46:00.006-05:00

Steven Hyden wrote a great piece for the A.V. Club a few weeks ago that I find myself constantly referencing. How long does it take you to like an album, to "get" an album?

Personally, it all depends.

When I first heard Adele's new release 21, I was barely through the third song before I had fallen hard. I started listening to it on repeat, Tweeting about it (and not just once), and telling people about it. I was hooked immediately.

But it isn't always like that.

I'm a longtime fan of Gavin Creel's (since my very first Broadway show) and was very excited about his recent release, Quiet. After quickly downloading it to my iPod, I listened to it first on my commute. On earbuds while walking along busy streets and riding the bus, Quiet simply couldn't compete. Its EP length hurt it further, the songs running together and seeming to end before they began. I was left with the unfortunate reaction of, "Is this it?," which is not how I feel about any of Creel's other work (least of all his recent brilliance in HAIR). I wasn't willing to give up that easily, so I listened to it at work. Emanating from the plastic speakers while I was focused on the morning's e-mails, Quiet lived up to its name and once again fell flat. But I couldn't let it go. When I got home, I played it in my otherwise silent apartment and was finally able to hear the intricacies of this unassuming, delicate, understated album. A few more listens, and I was in love.

Sometimes an album requires this time and effort of exploration. As Hyden highlights, "An album might be best experienced on headphones, or it might demand to be played at 11 on stereo speakers." My favorite place to listen to music, the place where it sounds the best, is in my car. But like most people, I also tailor playlists to different activities (a run) and experiences (the morning commute). Some songs go anywhere, some don't.

Likewise, it's the nature of music to become intimately attached to time. Sometimes you're hooked in a moment, on a note or a lyric, and sometimes it takes days, weeks, months or even years for an album to feel right - to feel like you really "get" it. Of course, you can fall out of love with a song or album in the same time frames. Hyden also gets it absolutely right on this idea of time and our relationship to music:

"Music by nature is a slow burn, parsing out its charms in small increments over the course of weeks, years, even decades. Music can be the focus of your attention, but it often fades into the background, only to re-emerge when you least expect it and reveal a whole other dimension. No other art form weaves its way into the fabric of your life like music, and this inevitably shapes our feelings about it."

Couldn't have said it better.

IT'S LIVE

2011-03-09T18:10:00.000-06:00

Microsite live now!

DISPATCHES FROM NYC

2011-03-01T12:36:00.000-06:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of accompanying several First Wave students to New York City for the 2011 New York Knicks Poetry Slam. On Wednesday, we caught what was suddenly the most highly-anticipated Knicks game of the season (featuring the debut of Carmelo Anthony and Chauncey Billups in their new Knicks duds) and were thrilled to take in the amazing Madison Square Garden crowd energy in the exciting win. On Thursday, after technical rehearsal for the evening's show, staff took the First Wave performers to the heart of Times Square. It was ostensibly for a lesson about TKTS/TDF and a quick photo at the TKTS stairs, but was actually a challenge: perform the piece they were about to perform on a Broadway stage in the middle of Times Square. The performers not only accepted the challenge of a flash performance like professionals but gave one of their best renditions ever of their piece, "Jury Duty."

That evening at the Knicks Poetry Slam Finals at Broadway's New Amsterdam Theatre, between performances by some incredible young poets from the New York City area, the First Wave performers lit up the stage with "Jury Duty." While I held my breath, they brought down one of the largest houses on Broadway. Between this exceptional culmination of months of their hard work and the way they conducted themselves as First Wave ambassadors throughout the week, the only way I can describe what I felt is complete and utter pride. We also welcomed the our next student from New York City, the first member of our fifth (!) cohort, and met many potential future First Wavers amidst the talented youth poets. All in all, a very successful trip.

On another note, on the day after we returned from New York, most of the First Wave cohort headed to Milwaukee to check out the national tour of HAIR at Milwaukee's Marcus Center for the Performing Arts. It was a great experience from start to finish - the Marcus Center has a fantastic group sales department that took great care of us and even organized a post-show talkback for our students.As for the show itself, I have to give the incredible cast and creative team credit - usually after seeing a show on Broadway, I see some holes in the tour production, but HAIR was flawless. I felt like I was back in the Hirschfeld. HAIR is one of my favorite Broadway shows of all time, and I can't recommend seeing it (especially this tour!) enough.

MEMO TO ARTS ORGS, PART ONE

2011-01-21T22:03:00.002-06:00

I was talking to a friend and colleague today about local arts organizations - what makes venues good/bad, what shows they choose to bring/produce, how their people or policies affect event experiences - and I realized that, as has been reported recently, cultural organizations take quite a bit for granted. From how ticket sales are run (my colleague pointed out that a certain local organization with several theaters and one 1000-plus-seat venue uses an online ticketing system that is designed for small, one-time nonprofit events) to the ease of getting someone on the phone (or via e-mail or Twitter) to answer ticket buyers' questions, many factors play into the bottom line items of audience size and ticket sales.

So for the first part what is likely to be a several-part series, I look at one item that affects audiences more than arts organizations generally credit: selecting seats. An organization to which I have regularly subscribed in the past has proven relatively bad at choosing the seats it gives me for each show in my subscription, and this caused me to choose not to subscribe this past year. This sounds a bit extreme, and I readily admit that I'm a seat snob, but my reasoning was simple: A major Broadway show was coming this year, I was bringing family and friends to the show who had never seen it before, and I wanted them to have a specific experience. The particular theater which was hosting this show has aural dead zones in the Orchestra, has certain areas with bad sight lines at every level, and, as I said, has a history of giving me odd seats for a subscriber. I wanted to choose my own seats for this important show, so I opted not to subscribe and instead buy tickets piecemeal. This is my own experience only, but it makes me wonder how many others made the same choice.

Select your own seat options have been shown to be widely used by buyers and to result in purchases of better (read: more expensive) seats. It gives buyers a sense of agency over their theatrical experience, and that can't be overvalued in our area of intensive customization and desire for unique individual experiences. Offering ticket buyers a view from their potential seats is also increasingly popular. I remember the first time I ever used this option, at Madison Square Garden,and their system is still the model for the technology. However, smaller theaters can do this much more simply, such as this example by a local organization (choose any event to view). This Chicago theater company's website was recently highlighted by Wall Street Journal theater critic Terry Teachout as a great example of a well-organized and complete arts organization site, and - surprise, surprise - they let you choose your seat location, even in a 140-seat venue. I'd be interested to hear from other organizations who studied or chose to institute this option to find out how it has impacted their ticket buying stats, but I suspect it's usually a net positive.

While considering other issues that may unexpectedly affect audiences, I'm looking forward to digging through my current stack of 16 library books (guess I know what I'll be doing this weekend!) to take another look at The Experience Economy: Work Is Theater & Every Business a Stage, a book whose lessons apply far beyond the arts world. Nothing about the arts-going experience should be taken for granted, and being allowed to choose one's own view of the show is no exception. One caveat, though: if a map is presented, it should be accurate. I once selected seats to a local production of one of my favorite musicals in the middle of the last row of a small (300-seat) theater that appeared to offer a prime view (and was not marked as partial view or offered at any type of discount). When I arrived, the tech table was poised in the last row, and my seats butted up against it. In a normal seated position, 80% of my sight line was obscured by the table. I spent the entire show alternating between kneeling on my seat and balancing on the top edge of the folded seat, and even in these uncomfortable positions, I was still privy to the stage manager calling the entire show into his headset (I knew about the gunshots five seconds before everyone else!) and the bright light of his computer screen distracting my peripheral vision. As much as I support this theater group, I am unfortunately much more tentative about attending performances there after that particular evening. Experience is everything!

SETTING THE BAR

2010-12-31T10:34:00.001-06:00

As 2010 comes to a close, I'm thankful to the folks at A.V. Club Madison for putting Line Breaks on their list of favorite Madison shows of 2010. It's an honor and also a challenge. Since Line Breaks is an annual event, as we look forward to Line Breaks 2011, I certainly want to once again "conquer [someone's year] with a flaming saber." But ultimately the goal can't be bigger, better! but rather must be to serve our students' and guest artists' incredible work in the best possible way. I look for the event organizers to focus on serving the audience in a more complete way than ever before as well as growing the audience to hopefully include those who have never been to or even heard of a First Wave show before. Most of all, I'm sure there will once again be so much to be proud of, especially as it relates to the First Wave students and guest artists, and I'm sure that audiences and artists alike will continue to surprise and amaze everyone involved. In my mind, it's impossible to overestimate the capacity of either one, and as arts producers we should strive to meet and then exceed everyone's expectations, and subsequently raise their expectations for every arts experience in the future.

POISED ON THE VERGE

2010-12-17T23:55:00.024-06:00

It's time to clear something up. People have been saying a lot of things about Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown, the new Broadway musical based on the Almodóvar film. They say that it's all ADD and call it a "sad casualty of its own wandering mind," they say "the musical mostly feels born of indecision and even boredom," they call it lifeless and preoccupied, and on and on. Oh, that was all in one review? Well, so, you see.

Here's the thing: The reviewers are not wrong. I think Women on the Verge is best described as a hot mess. It is all over the place - stairs that lead nowhere appear out of nowhere, accents that belong to nowhere appear and disappear in moments, songs come and go before you realize they began. There is an epic fire, lots of Valium, and at least seventeen impossible-to-follow plotlines.

BUT. I would recommend everyone go see Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown. No, not because of schadenfreude, but because I think it's an experience that everyone needs in his or her life. There are so many reasons why this is the case. I will share but a few.

Laura Benanti gives a performance that will win a Tony if there is any justice in the world. She is absolutely hilarious before she ever opens her mouth. You desperately want her in every scene. And while she only gets one song (because, well, of course that's how it would be), she makes so much of this medium-ish part that you keep temporarily forgetting that she isn't the reason you came to see the show. Which she obviously will be for every show you see in the future.
Have you ever heard Brian Stokes Mitchell sing live? If yes, then you already know why this is a reason. If no, then you haven't heard music until you've heard it come out of his mouth. I remember very few songs or riffs from Women, but one of them is Brian Stokes Mitchell basically teaching his son (a remarkably good Justin Guarini) that it doesn't matter what you say to a woman as long as you say it in a certain way. The idea - and, spoiler! the song - is based on the premise that even "blah blah blah" can sound magical to a woman if you make it so. Putting aside the obvious male chauvinism for just a moment, there's a reason that only Brian Stokes Mitchell could make this plausible. His voice is a dream and he is a must-see.
Incredible scenery. It is colorful and plentiful and flies everywhere, all the time. You may be overwhelmed but you will never be bored.
If you, like me, have a mental Broadway bucket list, it likely includes the likes of, oh, say Patti LuPone, Sheri Rene Scott, Laura Benanti, Brian Stokes Mitchell, Danny Burstein, and more. This show gives you all of them at once in a convenient, if confusing, two-and-half-hour block. And while these may not be any of their best roles, the energy, charisma, and talent - however misplaced in this show - radiating from the stage at the Belasco is still quite powerful.

Okay, so those are the reasons that are easy to classify: cast and creative. But there is something else. The best thing about Women on the Verge of a Nervous Breakdown is that once you have seen it, you're pretty sure you saw something awful, but there is also a nagging feeling suggesting that you may have just seen something amazing. You think, "Gosh, that was horrendous ... and yet potentially a masterful exercise in camp." You leave the theater, look at your (very, very game) theater-going partner and break into hysterics, trying desperately to catch your breath as you trade, "But the worst was ..." and, "Yes, but you're forgetting how bad ..." as you head into the comparatively dark hollow of 44th Street. But then, as the laughter dies down, you turn and face each other and give one another that look, the one that says, "And yet ..."

And as you walk away, boarding the subway home only to sit opposite several couples who saw the show and are now absolutely trashing it for the entire car to hear, your friend says, "Are you there, Pepa?" and you rapidly tiptoe á la Candela over to a bench in the corner of the train, where the voices of all the others recede and you're left to quietly discuss why you never would have traded seeing that show for any other.

RE: THE PROBLEM WITH "GLEE"

2010-11-08T21:28:00.011-06:00

I was interested to read today a clearly thoughtful and truly concerned critique of the television show "Glee" by American Theater Wing Executive Director Howard Sherman. I was surprised to see Sherman choose to critique "Glee" (though not until he establishes himself as a fan of the show), not because I want to defend it as one of the best shows on television (although in its better moments, I really think it is) but because of what the show does for musical theater and specifically Broadway.

Before "Glee," was the average young American listening to selections from Victor/Victoria, Funny Girl, or Gypsy on his or her iPod? Um, no. Musical theater geeks like me, who spend actual time debating whether Alice Ripley's voice will make it through the Next to Normal tour (fingers are crossed), may have been familiar with some or all of these songs and shows. But beyond existing Broadway fans, this music was largely lost to the general public.

No more. Now, when "Glee" does a Rocky Horror hour, video from the Broadway cast of the show performing "Time Warp" on "The Rosie O'Donnell Show" surfaces and people are suddenly comparing the Glee kids to Raul Esparza, Daphne Rubin-Vega and, yes, Alice Ripley. When Lea Michele belts "Papa, Can You Hear Me," people are clamoring to re-watch a Streisand classic. And the fact that most tickles Broadway-baby me? The fact that millions of people who have never set foot in New York city are appreciating the talents of the likes of Matthew Morrison, Lea Michele, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth, Jonathan Groff, and (soon!) Cheyenne Jackson. Who else but "Glee" gives us - and these actors - such an incredible gift? Broadway will always be better than "Glee," but "Glee" is the all-important bridge. Broadway should kiss the ground that "Glee" walks on.

To directly respond to Mr. Sherman's criticism that there are no rehearsal sequences in "Glee" and this fosters unreasonable expectations, I submit the following:

In the first episode of the series, the original six "Glee" kids are rehearsing "Sit Down, You're Rocking the Boat" and Mr. Schue is coaching them before Rachel declares that they suck. The second time we meet Vocal Adrenaline, we see them in the midst of a very trying rehearsal. And while we do see many fully realized production numbers without explicit rehearsals (which would pretty much kill the exuberance and drama of the piece when it's finally presented - think if you watched rehearsal periods of a musical before seeing it performed and tell me it wouldn't lose some of its magic), we hear Rachel discuss storyboarding, Mike and Brittany reflect on last-minute choreography, and Finn make musical selections based on his desired narrative. Isn't it better to get a taste of everything that is involved in creating a musical, or just a musical number, than to simply see practice after practice and assume that's all that happens before greatness? (We also see the benefits of a good director when Emma struggles to handle a production in Will's absence and the struggle to find a compatible collaborator on choreography when the group unfortunately recruits Dakota Stanley … if Mr. Sherman needs more examples, "Glee"'s got 'em.)
Some of the musical sequences are undoubtedly fantasy - Kurt's "Le Jazz Hot" and "Rose's Turn" come to mind - and that beautiful transition between reality and fantasy is what movie-musical translations like Chicago did brilliantly and with which "Glee" continues to play promisingly. It's a great device to contrast the "real" performed musical numbers and get into the head of a character, so common in musicals - think Billy Elliot's dancing dresses.
Concerns with a character spontaneously breaking into song? From a musical theater lover? We're just going to have to let that go because everyone sees the irony there.
How many times does Schue have to say, "From the top!" before we believe that most of what we see, except what's performed for a formal audience, is all rehearsal?

I can get behind so many extremely valid critiques of "Glee" - inconsistent characterization, losing the plot, too many themed episodes … the list is long - but lack of rehearsal simply isn't one of them. Also, glee club is an extracurricular activity, there hasn't been a drama club since Sandy left, and Heather Morris is giving an Emmy-worthy performance. Respect.

ART IN THE OFFICE

2010-08-28T08:00:00.001-05:00

Everyone who visits my office comments on the art that graces the entry wall. Bringing that piece from home and hanging it in my office was the best decorating decision I could have made, and here are just a few of the reasons why:

The piece helps to set the tone for what we do as an office. We're all about urban arts, and the photos are the complete embodiment of that.
The piece tells visitors something about my personality. When someone asks me about the art, I am offered the opportunity to share information about my favorite artist, as well as details about when I bought the photographs and how I mounted them.
As an arts organization, who would we be if we didn't actively support all kinds of artists? To me, it's essential that I be both a proponent and a genuine fan of much more than the artists or art forms with which I happen to work. Keeping art all around me is vital both for my personal engagement and my professional development.

The artist who created these amazing shots is Xavier Nuez, and I imagine I will have a large collection of his work in a few more years. I love his Alleys series - the gritty-pretty, graffiti-glam aesthetic is exemplary of my artistic taste. I originally came across Mr. Nuez's work at Madison's annual Art Fair on the Square, which is a great way to be exposed to many artists and types of art at once. Check out Mr. Nuez's work at his website, and support the artists whose work you love, both at home and at work.

KIDULTS

2010-06-20T13:03:00.004-05:00

I will openly admit to having both pet peeves and personally preferred guidelines about theater. Some of the guidelines are, I believe, fairly universal among theatergoers (do not speak to anyone in your party, even at a whisper, except during scene-change applause; no flash photography; no late seating except at scene changes - and please be quick and quiet about it; and, of course, I join Hugh Jackman and all of Broadway in asking that you please turn off your cell phones). Standard requests generally made by theaters themselves and, thankfully, often observed by all.

My pet peeves are not quite so standard. Perhaps the biggest one is, by friends' consideration, decidedly odd, but I am rather passionate about it: I cannot stand adults playing children. This simple fact almost ruined my experience of Little Women, which, with the inimitable Sutton Foster as Jo, should have been a slam dunk for me. (For the record, the entire show, save for the casting of an adult as Amy, was a lovely production.) There is something about the often cloying way in which fully grown and mature people attempt to de-age at least 20 years and ask us to believe their faux naïveté and innocent charm that feels so absurd I simply cannot buy it, and I resent the production for asking that I do so. I believe it first hit when, barely a teenager, I was turned off of an otherwise excellent touring production of Urinetown by one "Little Sally."

I believe that even the most talented of actors cannot pull off this particular type of part. Case in point: I love absolutely everything that the amazing Kristin Chenoweth does, but this year when an e-mail from the Tony Awards invited me to remember (though it was my first time seeing it) her 1999 Tony-winning performance in You're a Good Man, Charlie Brown, I found that even she did not prove to be an acceptable exception to my no-adults-as-children rule. She fits every possible requirement, from her height to her high voice to her irresistible zest, yet ... it just doesn't work for me.

It is this concern that currently holds me back from seeing a local production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, which I avoided for this very reason when it was on Broadway. I have a longtime love of the Scripps National Spelling Bee, so this show should otherwise be right up my alley. If I am able to make an exception and check it out, I will definitely share my thoughts here. In the meantime, I say to playwrights and casting directors everywhere: If a child's part is too large for an actual child to handle it, please reconsider.

The inspiration and title for this post came from Amazon.com's assertion that I would surely like Mandy Patinkin's 2001 release Kidults, where as far as I can tell, Mandy sings children's theater standards ("If I Only Had a Brain," "Singin' in the Bathtub"). Nice try, Amazon.com. Yes, I have great respect for Mr. Patinkin, but this venture swims too close to the "no adults as children" situation.

In other news, Mandy Patinkin appears in what is one of my favorite Glee quotes ever: "Are you saying that your fathers impregnated Patti LuPone in the Marriott in Akron? Was Mandy Patinkin in on this?" Thank you, Ryan Murphy.

HAIR @ 2009 TONY AWARDS

2010-06-12T16:07:00.000-05:00

In honor of Hair announcing its Broadway closing date, as well as tomorrow's Tony Awards presentation, I am posting Hair's 2009 Tony Awards performance. Later in the ceremony, the show won Best Revival of a Musical. Every accolade so richly deserved. Plus, this is one of the best Tony performances I have ever seen. Pure joy! Enjoy.