The Matinee

The Wiz is Wondrous

2009-06-19T09:07:00.000-07:00

Well I got a chance to chat with friend of The Matinee Tony and Grammy Award winner Alex Lacamoire when I went to see The Wiz which is playing at New York City Center as part of their summer Encore series. Alex as the musical director, along with Thomas Kail, director, and Andy Blankenbuehler, choreographer, has brought something very special to the New York stage. These three worked together in the same capacities on In the Heights which won the Tony for Best Musical in 2008. I call them the holy trinity. It seems everything they touch is golden. (Alex also worked with Andy on the dance arrangements for 9 to 5 which is currently on Broadway.)

The Wiz performers are electric. There's not a slacker on the stage. Not that there weren't standouts. Grammy winning singer Ashanti makes her NY stage debut as Dorothy. She plays the part with childish innocence. I thought she played it graciously low key, leaving the big performances for those playing stronger characters. Her voice is angelic, a joy to the ears. The big performances are by LaChanze who plays Aunt Em and Glinda the Good Witch, Dawnn Lewis as Addaperle the Good Witch of the North and Tichina Arnold as Evillene The Wicked Witch of the West. All give incredible performances and own the stage. And the gorgeous Orlando Jones as the Wizard is a neon green bundle of energy. The Scarecrow (Christian Dante White), Tinman (Joshua Henry) and Lion (James Monroe Iglehart) are all well-cast. One other performance that stood out for me was Juson Williams as the Gatekeeper. He steals the scene as he pompously hands out the green glasses to Dorothy, the Scarecrow, Tinman and Lion as they enter the Emerald City. It's a small part but very memorable. He also plays one of the adorable Munchkins who wear inverted laundry baskets covered with the laundry that has blown in from the tornado. The laundry baskets conceal stools that enable these average-size actors to move freely on stage and appear munchkin-size. They also wear fright wigs adorned with clothespins. And the yellow brick road is depicted by the dancers wearing yellow high tops. All very clever. The choreography is spectacular. Andy Blankenbuehler is the new Fosse. His work has such a modern signature look to it. I would say he's probably my favorite living Broadway choreographer. The tornado ballet is absolutely amazing with the dancers embodying the storm. And not only is he good at creating the moves, he's great at casting his dancers who are the cream of the crop, including one of the finalists from last year's tv show "So You Think You Can Dance" the fabulous Will (William B. Wingfield). The score is wonderful including "Ease on Down the Road", "Everybody Rejoice" and "Home". And our Alex conducts on an elevated platform and is on stage throughout the show. I've said it before, I'll say it again, he is one of the nicest show biz people I've ever met. One of the nicest people I've ever met, period. I can only wish for him an incredible career.

It's a shame that this is a limited engagement since it's one of the best musicals I've seen in recent months. It's definitely Broadway-worthy and hopefully we will be seeing it there. I would love to take my daughter to see it. I did take my 11 year old friend, Evan, and he loved it. (There are pictures of Evan with Alex, Ashanti and Juson on The Matinee Gallery, page 16.) So if you're planning a trip to NY between now and July 5th, run and get your tickets before it whizzes on down the road.

Haunted at the Royal Exchange

2009-05-20T06:50:00.001-07:00

This is a brand new play. We went in to this one with an air of excitement as quite by chance we bumped in to friend of the show, Sue Jenkins, who told up she had heard it was excellent. It would appear her sources were spot on. The stage was constructed out of a perspex allowing some interesting projections and uplighting. The theatre is set in the round at the Royal Exchange which must have set someo challenges as there is i full size door in the plot. They got around this by. . Yes you guessed it. . . Making it out of perspex. The outer ring of the stage revolved and proved very effective as a platform for introducing the characters to the right stage position. There are quite a few extra bits hidden but i will let you spot them yourself when you see it. The play itself has a great mix of comedy and serious moments. Brenda Blethyn is superb in her role as an ex housewife thats finds herself having to be the main bread winner. The story twists and turns right up to the last minute leaving you with the feeling that you understood it but dont ask me to explain it. All the cast were superb. This one is a must see.

Songs of sister act is nuntastic

2009-05-16T02:26:00.001-07:00

Rowetta starred in this concert style musical. The london community gospel choir were outstanding. The whole show has had a revamp with more audience participation, including a rather funny segment where three nuns get up and sing from the audience. Ok maybe i should explain that you are encouraged to come dressed as nuns. Rowetta is a very generous performer. Costantly bigging up the whole cast but she does stand out with a superb voice that sent shivers down my spine. A word of warning. If you go expecting to be sitting down for most of the show you will be in for a shock. The audience was up on their feet before the first number was up. And the interval was a chance to sit down and rest. Madame Aries seemed to enjoy herself and i dont know who sang more. Her or the people on stage. Strongly recomended

High school musical at the lowry

2009-05-11T13:35:00.001-07:00

It was cheesey kitch and a bit silly. But they do all of the above very well. The sound was a bit off but the audience of mainly youngsters loved it. Actually it was very entertaining. High energy wins over high art when disney comes to town. Go and see it and try not to smile.

Updating the Matinee technology

2009-05-09T05:16:00.001-07:00

As part of our ongoing comittment to being the best and the first to bring you reviews, from monday we will be testing a remote solution to these blogs. Please bear with up as we implement this tech

West Side Story 2009

2009-04-17T11:41:00.000-07:00

It's been 52 years since the then 40ish year old Arthur Laurents wrote the book for West Side Story. This time the 91 year old has also directed it. I've seen the movie countless times, know the entire score backwards and forwards so there's a special place in my heart for this play which takes place in the gang-ridden streets of New York City in the 1950's depicting the turf wars between the Anglo Jets and the Puerto Rican Sharks and the impact it has on the Anglo Tony and the Puerto Rican Maria who are torn between ethnic loyalty and intense love for each other.

I'll cut to the chase. Is it good? Yes. Does it live up to the original? Not exactly. I'll start with what I loved about it. The original Jerome Robbins choreography was lovingly recreated by Joey McNeeley, himself a Robbins protege, and is as breath-taking as ever. The dancers are superb. I loved Karen Olivo as Anita. She's one of those electrifying presences like Idina Menzell or Kristin Chenoweth, people who you would go to see in anything. The Leonard Bernstein/Stephen Sondheim score is one of the best ever written. The sets of the mean streets of NY are fabulous. Where I feel it falls short is the casting for the most part. I'm not going to point fingers, but aside from Karen Olivo and a couple of the Puerto Rican girls, the singing and speaking voices were not strong or dynamic enough. The original Broadway cast album is so imprinted in my mind that I couldn't help but compare the voices with those of the original cast. And the songs and dialogue in Spanish are a mistake in my opinion. While the use of Spanish is an earnest attempt at making it more authentic, the audience, especially those not familiar with the story, lose a lot. My husband said he wished the pajama party scene in Maria's bedroom had been in English. He said he thought it was probably very funny but most of the audience didn't know what was going on. Two of the songs were done in Spanish as well. "I Feel Pretty" and "A Boy Like That". "A Boy Like That" was sung by Anita to Maria chiding her about the love for this man who just killed her brother. Those were important lyrics to the story.

Should you see it? Absolutely, it's classic Broadway. There's more good about it than bad. Jerry, Jade and I all enjoyed it very much, even with the flaws. But after you see West Side Story, go see "In the Heights" which is a more relevant look into the lives of Latino immigrants in the New York City of today. Sure, there still are the occasional turf wars but New Yorkers are so used to new and different ethnicities moving in and most of us have embraced the differences. To me, it's one of the things that makes New York City so wonderful, the diversity.

Sherie Renee Scott is Ravishing in Everyday Rapture

2009-04-16T08:22:00.003-07:00

I sure hope Sherie Renee Scott doesn't have any plans after May 31st when the limited run of Everyday Rapture at off-Broadway's Second Stages ends because this phenomenal play, in my opinion, is Broadway-bound. How do I describe it? It's a musical but not a musical. It's a play with music. That's probably the best description but not like any play with music I've ever seen. It's a one-woman show with a cast of four. Sherie Renee Scott wrote this semi-autobiographical piece with Dick Scanlon, who previously wrote the book and lyrics to Thoroughly Modern Millie. Miss Scott plays herself with Lindsay Mendez and Betsy Wolf playing her backup singers/quasi-spiritual leaders, The Mennonettes, and Eamon Foley playing broadwayislove09@earthlink.net, a 15 year old obsessed with musical theatre who posts a video of himself on youtube lip-synching to Sherie Renee Scott singing "My Strongest Suit" from Aida in which she starred as Princess Amneris. But it's mostly Miss Scott taking the audience anecdotally through her life from her rural Kansas childhood to her adult life in Manhattan through soliloquy and parodies of familiar songs from Judy Garland's "Dear Mr. Gable" to George Harrison's "Give Me Love". And she does it brilliantly. How much of it is true and how much is artistic license, one doesn't know for sure but who cares. This is great theatre. She tells of her childhood growing up half-Mennonite (the lower half) with some of her fondest memories watching Judy Garland movies with her full-Mennonite cousin Jerome who was later shunned by this branch of the Christian church historically known as a peace church given their commitment to nonviolence and pacifism. Then to her 27 year Rumspringer (the time in which Mennonite young adults are permitted to "experience the real world" before deciding to join the church) in Manhattan where she discovers what it really means to live.

I didn't realize until I was riding home on the train and reading the playbill that the play was directed by Michael Mayer who directed another favorite of mine, Spring Awakening. Ironically throughout the show there were things that reminded me of Spring Awakening. The simplicity of the sets for one and the efficiently beautiful orchestrations presented with only a guitar, a bass, a violin and drums.

There's only one problem for Sherie Renee Scott, if Everyday Rapture does make the jump to Broadway she'll have to commit to it for the long run because no one could play her like her. And Eamon Foley as the youtube boy on the internet would be hard to replace as well. The faces alone that he made were so funny I had to look away so I wouldn't embarrass myself laughing hysterically. We saw him in 13, The Musical and he was a standout in that show too. We had met him and I had taken a picture of him with Jade which we brought with us to have him sign which he did graciously. He's absolutely adorable and I'm sure has a bright future ahead of him. There's a new picture of Jade with him sporting a new haircut. Check it out on page 14 of The Matinee gallery at http://www.matineeshow.co.uk/.

Off-Broadway'

2009-04-16T08:22:00.001-07:00

40 Years and still going strong

2009-03-02T13:00:00.001-08:00

After a long wait, I finally got to see my premier musical theatre idol after Tommy Steele last night at the Lowry, on what is cited to be her last UK tour. Britain’s first lady of the stage: Miss Elaine Paige. -Who has shared her initials with 2 fantastic ladies, whom she was going to portray tonight. Anyone tell me their names for some Brownie points?

The show opened to an orchestral medley of her most famous songs ‘Memory’ ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘With One Look’ before the petite Miss Paige ran onto the stage to sing her opening number full of energy ‘Life Goes On.’ The money note at the end she hit effortlessly, as she did with every number in the show. A bland opening costume –black velvet ‘skinny’ pants, a purple ‘quilt’ type jacket and a new hair do to suit!

This sliced nicely into ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, and Paige’s version of it was practically the same as on her 1980’s ‘Stages’ album. After this, she introduced herself to the audience and said that she was ‘celebrating 40 years on the West-End stage, and this was the first time she has played the Lowry’s stage.’

She then went into quite a boring version of ‘Easy to be Hard’ from Hair, which she told us was the first song she sang on the West-End stage. This went nicely into ‘Broadway Baby’ from Follies, which was interspersed with anecdotes and stories from her life on the stage, backed up by a nice lighting trick which projected a Broadway-themed effect on the walls of the theatre. A very funny tale was of her starring in a show about premature ejaculation. “It was all over in the first scene!”

Next was a song especially written for this show by the 2 new lyricists of the Mary Poppins’ additional material, called ‘Small Packages,’ –which was Paige detailing how she has lost many roles on stage due to her height. The riot of a song detailing her wishes to be higher ended with Paige stood on top of a step ladder belting out the last notes. I think it a travesty that this song is not on her new live album, which will be detailed later in the review, and I sincerely hope it will be released elsewhere. She then danced with these step ladders for a little bit of the tune to ‘Shall We Dance’ from the King and I, before singing 'Hello Young Lovers' -again, not on the album.

After ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ –again, reminiscent of her ‘Stages’ album, we had a nice little story about meeting Dustin Hoffman and how he influenced her to continue a career in the theatre, which went into his and Bette Midler’s ‘Shoot the Breeze’ –which IS included on the album. Next we had Lennon & McCartney’s ‘Yesterday,’ which was Paige’s audition song for Evita.

She explained to us that she was offered a role in Les Miserables, but couldn’t take it due to Chess. Tonight was her chance, and she sang a fantastically powerful version of ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ before walking offstage. A Spanish Guitar medley of Evita tracks followed, before Paige came back on with a full-length red sequinned robe for a powerful version of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.’ Whoever says that her voice has ‘deepened’ or her songs have to be re-pitched are wrong. There was nothing different than this rendition than in the Original London Cast recording of Evita. Even her terrible diction of the line ‘I never invited them in’ was the same. A 5 minute ovation closed the first act.

‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset opened the second act, dressed and performed as the one and only Norma Desmond –wearing her original cloak from Broadway, turban and sunglasses and a long sparkly black dress. It was fantastic to see how she actually performed that certain song, with the hand actions of disillusioned woman. Fantastic. She removed her garb after this behind the Piano, did her hair and donned an apron to sing ‘By the Sea’ from Sweeney Todd –a song she’s never sung in concert before, or recorded up until this album.

‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ followed, with a memory about meeting the Queen Mother and getting cramp during a courtesy at a performance of ‘Anything Goes.’ After this, she left the stage again to a scorching orchestral working of the Overture from Chess, incorporating ‘One Night In Bangkok.’ –It’s a shame that isn’t on the Live CD too, as it was truly fantastic. Paige returned to the stage in a shorter black velvety dress and sang ‘Someone Else’s Story’ from Chess –available on her album ‘Essential Musicals.’ This led, of course, into ‘I Know Him So Well’ without too much of a mention of Barbara Dickson, sat on a chair by the piano, singing solo –as unlike on the new Live CD.

Following this, she went to the back of the piano and changed her shoes to flats, put on a brown wig and red lipstick and hobbled to the front of the stage. Edith Piaf. She once again took on the character, and shouted at the orchestra leader, Chris Egan, a la Piaf, and sang my favourite from her Piaf album, the quirky ‘La Goulante Du Pauvre Jean,’ into ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and finally a massive applause followed the passionate ‘Hymne a l’Amour’ which she immersed herself in.

She sang ‘Cry Me A River’ –not the version you’re all thinking of, but one from her earlier albums, and left the stage. A standing ovation followed, before she returned to the stage in a long black velvet coat with diamante cuffs and down the front –glittering, to a fantastic version of her immortal ‘Memory,’ before leaving the stage, only to return to another ovation to close the show with a powerful ‘With One Look.’

Easily, Paige is the best ‘star’ I’ve seen on stage –her charisma for a 61 year old is fantastic. Her ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ comment drew wolf-whistles from the audience, and her continuous jokes kept the crowd please, breaking up nicely anecdotes and music. For a height of under 5 feet tall, her stage presence is much bigger.

Chris Egan provided arrangements and Piano playing for the fantastic band that accompanied Ms Paige, and the lighting was absolutely fantastic –often corresponding to the colour of dress she was wearing, and a net of fairy light-types hung on the back curtain, often changed colour in synch with the spots. In the interval, when queuing for my ice-cream, a ‘roadie’ went to the lighting desk and I heard quite loudly ‘Ms Paige is very pleased with the lighting.’ No wonder! It was great!

As said about this new ‘Live CD.’ A fantastic release of some new recordings, and a wonderful recording of the concert. The problem is that I feel it could have been made a double CD, and incorporated all the songs and chats, as opposed to cutting 5 of them out –one of them, the quirkiest in the show. It is also dubbed ‘her first live CD’ and she mentions this frequently in the programme and stated that it “now feels right to release a live recording.” The fact is, she released a live recording of her 1991 tour….Sorry EP, you’re wrong there m’love!

Now all I have to do is to wait and see whether the proposed Live DVD for release on the 9th of March comes into fruition or not, and if it does, has these missing tracks on!

Seb Lassandro

40 Years and still going strong

2009-03-02T13:00:00.000-08:00

After a long wait, I finally got to see my premier musical theatre idol after Tommy Steele last night at the Lowry, on what is cited to be her last UK tour. Britain’s first lady of the stage: Miss Elaine Paige. -Who has shared her initials with 2 fantastic ladies, whom she was going to portray tonight. Anyone tell me their names for some Brownie points?

The show opened to an orchestral medley of her most famous songs ‘Memory’ ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina’ and ‘With One Look’ before the petite Miss Paige ran onto the stage to sing her opening number full of energy ‘Life Goes On.’ The money note at the end she hit effortlessly, as she did with every number in the show. A bland opening costume –black velvet ‘skinny’ pants, a purple ‘quilt’ type jacket and a new hair do to suit!

This sliced nicely into ‘Tomorrow’ from Annie, and Paige’s version of it was practically the same as on her 1980’s ‘Stages’ album. After this, she introduced herself to the audience and said that she was ‘celebrating 40 years on the West-End stage, and this was the first time she has played the Lowry’s stage.’

She then went into quite a boring version of ‘Easy to be Hard’ from Hair, which she told us was the first song she sang on the West-End stage. This went nicely into ‘Broadway Baby’ from Follies, which was interspersed with anecdotes and stories from her life on the stage, backed up by a nice lighting trick which projected a Broadway-themed effect on the walls of the theatre. A very funny tale was of her starring in a show about premature ejaculation. “It was all over in the first scene!”

Next was a song especially written for this show by the 2 new lyricists of the Mary Poppins’ additional material, called ‘Small Packages,’ –which was Paige detailing how she has lost many roles on stage due to her height. The riot of a song detailing her wishes to be higher ended with Paige stood on top of a step ladder belting out the last notes. I think it a travesty that this song is not on her new live album, which will be detailed later in the review, and I sincerely hope it will be released elsewhere. She then danced with these step ladders for a little bit of the tune to ‘Shall We Dance’ from the King and I.

After ‘I Don’t Know How To Love Him’ –again, reminiscent of her ‘Stages’ album, we had a nice little story about meeting Dustin Hoffman and how he influenced her to continue a career in the theatre, which went into his and Bette Midler’s ‘Shoot the Breeze’ –which IS included on the album. Next we had Lennon & McCartney’s ‘Yesterday,’ which was Paige’s audition song for Evita.

She explained to us that she was offered a role in Les Miserables, but couldn’t take it due to Chess. Tonight was her chance, and she sang a fantastically powerful version of ‘I Dreamed A Dream,’ before walking offstage. A Spanish Guitar medley of Evita tracks followed, before Paige came back on with a full-length red sequinned robe for a powerful version of ‘Don’t Cry For Me Argentina.’ Whoever says that her voice has ‘deepened’ or her songs have to be re-pitched are wrong. There was nothing different than this rendition than in the Original London Cast recording of Evita. Even her terrible diction of the line ‘I never invited them in’ was the same. A 5 minute ovation closed the first act.

‘As If We Never Said Goodbye’ from Sunset opened the second act, dressed and performed as the one and only Norma Desmond –wearing her original cloak from Broadway, turban and sunglasses and a long sparkly black dress. It was fantastic to see how she actually performed that certain song, with the hand actions of disillusioned woman. Fantastic. She removed her garb after this behind the Piano, did her hair and donned an apron to sing ‘By the Sea’ from Sweeney Todd –a song she’s never sung in concert before, or recorded up until this album.

‘I Get A Kick Out Of You’ followed, with a memory about meeting the Queen Mother and getting cramp during a courtesy at a performance of ‘Anything Goes.’ After this, she left the stage again to a scorching orchestral working of the Overture from Chess, incorporating ‘One Night In Bangkok.’ –It’s a shame that isn’t on the Live CD too, as it was truly fantastic. Paige returned to the stage in a shorter black velvety dress and sang ‘Someone Else’s Story’ from Chess –available on her album ‘Essential Musicals.’ This led, of course, into ‘I Know Him So Well’ without too much of a mention of Barbara Dickson, sat on a chair by the piano, singing solo –as unlike on the new Live CD.

Following this, she went to the back of the piano and changed her shoes to flats, put on a brown wig and red lipstick and hobbled to the front of the stage. Edith Piaf. She once again took on the character, and shouted at the orchestra leader, Chris Egan, a la Piaf, and sang my favourite from her Piaf album, the quirky ‘La Goulante Du Pauvre Jean,’ into ‘Non, Je Ne Regrette Rien’ and finally a massive applause followed the passionate ‘Hymne a l’Amour’ which she immersed herself in.

She sang ‘Cry Me A River’ –not the version you’re all thinking of, but one from her earlier albums, and left the stage. A standing ovation followed, before she returned to the stage in a long black velvet coat with diamante cuffs and down the front –glittering, to a fantastic version of her immortal ‘Memory,’ before leaving the stage, only to return to another ovation to close the show with a powerful ‘With One Look.’

Easily, Paige is the best ‘star’ I’ve seen on stage –her charisma for a 61 year old is fantastic. Her ‘Does my bum look big in this?’ comment drew wolf-whistles from the audience, and her continuous jokes kept the crowd please, breaking up nicely anecdotes and music. For a height of under 5 feet tall, her stage presence is much bigger.

Chris Egan provided arrangements and Piano playing for the fantastic band that accompanied Ms Paige, and the lighting was absolutely fantastic –often corresponding to the colour of dress she was wearing, and a net of fairy light-types hung on the back curtain, often changed colour in synch with the spots. In the interval, when queuing for my ice-cream, a ‘roadie’ went to the lighting desk and I heard quite loudly ‘Ms Paige is very pleased with the lighting.’ No wonder! It was great!

As said about this new ‘Live CD.’ A fantastic release of some new recordings, and a wonderful recording of the concert. The problem is that I feel it could have been made a double CD, and incorporated all the songs and chats, as opposed to cutting 5 of them out –one of them, the quirkiest in the show. It is also dubbed ‘her first live CD’ and she mentions this frequently in the programme and stated that it “now feels right to release a live recording.” The fact is, she released a live recording of her 1991 tour….Sorry EP, you’re wrong there m’love!

South Pacific Captures the Essence of Rodgers and Hammerstein

2009-02-09T11:33:00.000-08:00

Every year I get theatre tickets for the family for Jerry's birthday and somehow whatever show I get is fabulous. This year was no exception. I was able to get house seats for Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific which won the Tony for Best Revival of a Musical as well as six others. South Pacific is housed in the Vivian Beaumont Theatre at Lincoln Center which is not actually in the theatre district near Times Square but is considered a Broadway-class theatre and shows that play here are eligible for the Tony Awards. The Beaumont differs from traditional Broadway theaters because it's designed as an amphitheatre with a thrust stage which is an open stage that extends into the audience on three sides and is connected to the backstage area by its upstage. The actors can enter from behind the stage, right or left stage or off each side of the front of the stage into passages that go below a tier of seats known as vomitory entrances. There's not a bad seat in the house. Did I mention we had house seats, sniff. Actually the seating area is not that large, only 1,080 seats which is considered only medium-sized for musicals, but the stage is huge. This is the first Broadway revival of South Pacific since it originally played on Broadway from March 1949 to January 1954 and they could not have picked a more perfect venue. This is the most lavish, beautifully staged production I've ever seen thanks in great part to the theatre itself. Because of the configuration of the stage and the fact that it is a raked stage, meaning the rear of the stage or upstage is at a higher elevation than the front of the stage or downstage. (This is turning into Musical Theatre 101.) Because of the raked stage they were able to create a beach in the background where the cast could run off over the dunes or set up umbrellas and sunbathe or come in off boats. You truly get the feeling you're on a beach. It's brilliant.

Anyway, the gorgeous overture begins and the front of the stage moves back to reveal the orchestra beneath the stage. Then the stage returns towards the audience and there we are in the beautiful open-air home of plantation owner Emile de Becque with two adorable children singing Dites-Moi. They're scooted off by a servant as Emile de Becque and army nurse Nellie Forbush enter. The perfection of the show was not diminished by the fact that Paul Szot who usually plays Emile de Becque (he won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical Revival) was on leave fulfilling some previous operatic commitments. David Pittsinger's rich baritone voice is a joy to behold and he played the part with the necessary elegance, while Broadway favorite Kelli O'hara, plays the army nurse from Little Rock, Arkansas with the contrasting personality of a hick from a small town in the deep South of the US. Two people from different parts of the world and different walks of life who have recently met and are fast falling in love. By the end of the first scene we have already heard "Cockeyed Optimist", "Wonder How it Feels" (twin soliloquys), "Some Enchanted Evening" and a reprise of "Dites-Moi" by the children. So the tone is set, we're off to a good start. It's spectacular.

South Pacific, with book written by Oscar Hammerstein and Josh Logan (which is based on James Michener's "Tales of the South Pacific") tells the intertwining stories of two couples falling in love in the Pacific during WWII with underlying themes of racial and cultural tolerance. There's also the love story of young Lt. Cable and the Pacific Island beauty, Lyat.

Ben Brantley, chief critic of the New York Times wrote "I know we’re not supposed to expect perfection in this imperfect world, but I'm darned if I can find one serious flaw in this production." And I felt the same way. This revival triumphs with director Bartlett Sher at the helm. The careful attention to detail made everything so perfect, the music, the casting, the acting, the ambiance, the authenticity of the sets and costumes all added up to a breath-taking theatre experience.

Critics said similar things about the original Broadway production. It is considered by many to be the greatest musical of all.

But, although both the original production and this revival are considered near perfection, the 1958 film adaptation fell short. It had many flaws and was considered to be very one-dimensional.

The original Broadway production of South Pacific was nominated for ten Tony Awards and won all of them, including Best Musical, Best Score and Best Libretto. It was the only musical production ever to win all four Tony Awards for acting. This production was nominated for eleven Tony's and took home 7 and it's worthy of every award it's been given.

"Billy Elliot" Dances into the Hearts of Broadway Fans

2008-12-26T11:26:00.000-08:00

It's one of the hottest Broadway tickets, sold out for months. But one day I get an email inviting me to a special performance of the show for loyal theatre-goers. So, of course, I get on it right away and manage to get three tickets in the nosebleed section of the 1,435 seat Imperial Theatre. The best I can do. In a theatre as large as the Imperial, the air in that section is pretty thin, but hey do I want to see Billy now or wait months for a new block of tickets since it's pretty much sold out until next summer. It's such a plum acquisition that I even allow Jade to miss half a day of school.

For the few people who don't know, Billy Eliot is based on the much loved 2000 film. The music is by Sir Elton John with book and lyrics by Lee Hall who also wrote the film's screenplay. Set in a mining community in northern England in the 1980's during the miner's strike, a very depressing time for Britain's mining industry, it is the intertwining stories of the miners' plight which affects virtually everyone in the community and Billy's personal journey. It's also a story of brotherhood and community spirit, ignorance and acceptance.

The opening is very dramatic with news footage on the history of the mines, a precursory message of what is soon to come, the mining strike. The sets are very dark, depicting the depression of the time, but there is comedy relief and magnificent dream sequences that keep it from being too somber.

The show is very memorable although, I hate to say this, with the exception of the two songs I've heard on The Matinee "Express Yourself" and "Electricity", the Elton John score did not make me want to pay $30 on the spot for the soundtrack. And I'm a big Elton John fan with Aida being one of my favorite scores, as well as Lion King and much of his rock music, especially "Tiny Dancer", "Blessed" and "Sacrifice". I will buy it and probably grow to like it, but I did not leave the theatre singing. But all and all, a wonderful show that I think, even in today's economic climate, will have staying power. Our little friend, Heather Burns, who was a guest on The Matinee this past summer, was adorable as one of the little ballet girls who reminded me of baby chicks. Unfortunately, Trent Kowalik, who was also a guest on The Matinee and who had played Billy on the West End, was not the Billy of the Day. Fortunately, though, Kiril Kulish was, and he was marvelous. I also have to mention Frank Dolce who plays Billy's friend, Michael, who loves to dress in his mother's clothes. He was a scene stealer in the "Express Yourself" number and whenever else he was on stage. And British actress Carole Shelley as the grandmother was hilarious.

The musical opened on the West End in 2005 and won four out of the nine Oliviers it was nominated for including Best New Musical. I'm sure it will be nominated for many Tony Awards and from the buzz I've been hearing, has a good chance of winning Best Musical with the only possible competitors being Shrek which I have yet to see and, although it is closing in two weeks, 13 The Musical which Jade and I loved so much we saw it twice.

I must mention that if you can't manage a ticket to see Billy Elliot either on the West End or Broadway, you're sure to enjoy the movie which remains one of my all time favorites.

Happy New Year to all my Tameside friends.

Magic

2008-12-17T09:25:00.000-08:00

If you wish to be mesmerised then take a trip to The Palace Theatre to see Mary Poppins.
From the first strains of the overture to the final curtain call I sat wide eyed and open mouthed. The sets were out of this world, and the cast lead by Lisa O'Hare as Mary Poppins. A faultless performance delivered with a sparkle in her eye and a spring in her step. Daniel Crossley is excellent as Bert, and Charlie Callaghan as Michael was extremely good. The Effects are outstanding with the closing sequence truly wonderful.
This show has to be up there amongst the top shows of the year.So if you haven't already booked your ticket get to it. The show runs till March but there are only a few tickets available between now and mid Jan. That's how popular it is.

The Wizard of Oz - The Lowry - Pele Productions

2008-12-09T03:20:00.000-08:00

The Wizard of Oz is at the Lowry this Christmas. Lorna Luft (Judy Garlands Daughter) stars as the wicked witch. And she is perfect in the role. She is just the right level of evilness and even the most hardened theatre goer will find themselves sinking in to the seat. Friend of the show Joe Standerline is perfect as the Tin Man and the special effects are stunning. Regular listeners and readers will know I love anything that has Flying, Trapdoors and Special effects in it. And I was not disappointed. The Jitter-Bug scene (originally cut from the film) is superb and you will be humming it all the way home if your anything like me. Katie Schofield plays Dorothy, She was discovered in a search for Dorothy style competition and for a first professional appearance played it very well. Her acting was excellent. All in all, a good family show that kids and adults, even if they won't admit it, Will enjoy. Get your boo's and Hisses ready for the wicked witch and head down to the Lowry this Christmas.

Joseph --- The Return

2008-11-26T03:43:00.000-08:00

Yes Joseph and his Amazing Coloured Coat returned to The Palace just 7 months after its initial triumph, Craig Chambers is still leading the cast, and a damn fine job he is doing too. Concidering the Show has now been on the road for the best part of a year the energy and pure joy is still there. Most of the original Tour Company too are here, with only a couple of main changes. To my delight the Narrator has reverted to the more traditional female performer,Tara Bethan is wonderful in the role with a great voice, mind you being Welsh helps,and pretty to boot. Anthony Hansen moves up the cast to take over as Pharoh with Robert Gwyn makng his Touring debut as baby brother Benjamin.
I found this second visit every bit as enjoyable as the first, this time perhaps having a slightly Camp edge to it, A great show, and for the sheer fun of it, still Sir Andrew & Tim at their best.
Its on till Saturday So grab a ticket while you can ,if you can, sit back and enjoy. It's worth it.

"In the Heights" at the Top of My List

2008-11-24T10:36:00.000-08:00

It's been a while since I've blogged and I'm way behind in reporting on Broadway shows I've seen but it's because I've been seeing so many that I don't have time to blog. I have to say that everything I've seen, I've liked. And one I really liked is "In the Heights" which Jade and I saw a couple of weeks ago. This is the wonderful musical that won it's creator, Lin-Manuel Miranda, Tony Awards for Best Original Score and Best Musical. And he stars in it too. Jade and I met him at the Drama Bookshop a couple of months ago interviewing Charles Strouse, the composer of Annie and Bye Bye Birdie. Lin-Manuel was really enthusiastic and so sweet and genuine. As Jade and I neared our seats we saw an open stage with a magnificent setting of an uptown Latino neighborhood in New York City at night (check out the photo I took of the set on the Matinee Gallery). Little store fronts and apartment buildings and in the background the imposing George Washington Bridge. I thought to myself, this is going to be great. And it was. The sun rises and the street comes alive. Enter Usnavi played by Lin-Manuel and there he is with that same enthusiasm and high energy. It's so cute the way he jubilantly bops across the stage rapping about his neighborhood in the shadow of the George Washington Bridge called Washington Heights. While telling the personal stories of several characters and the obstacles they meet as immigrants trying to find the American dream, the backbone of the story is the camaraderie of the neighborhood and how they help each other forge through those obstacles to realize that they really have found their "home" and are an integral part of New York's vibrant tapestry. It's got it's soulful, sentimental scenes but for the most part, it's energetic and upbeat. The dancing is so much fun to watch thanks to the talents of the ensemble cast and the wonderful choreography of Andy Blankenbuehler which won him a Tony this year. And the awesome score with it's clever lyrics and extraordinary orchestrations runs the gamut of musical genres from hip hop/rap to different rhythms of Latin music to traditional Broadway sounds so there's something for everyone to relate to. The wonderful thing about this show, although it takes place on a Latino street, is that it could be the story of any ethnic group living in New York or any city. I think that's the reason that it's doing so well while other shows are closing one after the other. It's very genuine and relatable. And not only did it win for Best Musical, Best Score and Best Choreography, it won the Tony Award for Best Orchestrations thanks to the talents of the brilliant Alex Lacamoire and Bill Sherman.

A little sidebar. I saw Alex Lacamoire on the panel discussing Carol de Giere's wonderful book "Defying Gravity: The Creative Career of Stephen Schwartz from Godspell to Wicked". Unfortunately he left before I could speak to him. I emailed Carol de Giere who had agreed to be a guest on The Matinee and she offered to give Alex my email address. Within a day he emailed back and asked how he could help. Of course, I emailed him back and as a postscript, I mentioned I was going to see "In the Heights" that coming weekend. I knew he was the music director but did not know he was the conductor (to be honest, I'm not so sure what the difference is). He emailed back inviting us to stop at the stage door to say hello. Jade and I had left for the city already because we were going to meet Bernadette Peters in the afternoon so I didn't see the email. After a fun but tiring day, we got to the Richard Rodgers Theatre for the evening performance. After the fabulous show, Lin-Manuel introduced the conductor and up popped Alex with his signature dark curls bouncing playfully. I told Jade it was Alex and she asked if we could go to the stage door to see if we could meet him. Of course I wanted to as well. I asked someone if Alex was backstage and the next thing I know, he peeked out the door. I told him who I was and he invited us in. He was very, very amicable and gracious. And that smile and those curls, adorable! (There's a picture of Jade and Alex in The Matinee Gallery as well). He agreed to do the show and will be on with us next week. He was supposed to be on this past week but he got stuck at an early meeting. He was so apologetic. I told him not to worry about it (we can all appreciate how busy he must be), and we made another appointment for the show. So listen in this coming Sunday, 11/19/08 to hear James, special guest host the X-Factor's Scott Bruton and me chat to Alex.

Never has there been a tale of more woe, than this of Juliet and her Romeo...

2008-11-12T09:03:00.000-08:00

This was the first production by The Royal Shakespeare Company which I had seen, and I know that they are the Shakespeare ‘experts,’ but I didn’t know what to expect as there have been that many interpretations of Romeo and Juliet in its 511 year history. What did we get? A very “The Godfather” inspired performance.

The stage opened to all the cast on stage wearing typical 1930’s Italian costumes –peasants, widows, noblemen and typical workers of the time. There was also a traditional Italian Tarantella band on stage that provided eerie music at heightened points of tension throughout the play, ranging from a re-working of ‘The Godfather Waltz’ to a typical Tarantella dance.

The chorus’ opening speech setting the tale of the ‘star crossed lovers’ was well done in the way that the ‘voice’ stepped out from the crowd to make their speech. The setting throughout was quite plain, but also very clever. There were only black panels on stage and black chairs, but the lighting (of only blues, reds and whites,) changed at the protagonists’ click of fingers. (The set did change however for the final scene in the Capulet’s vault, as Mafioso type characters (who I realised eventually represented ghosts,) revolved the panels to form a tomb.)

Not using microphones, the cast did a very good job of projecting over the hoards of rowdy school kids in the auditorium, who found that laughing at important moments and wolf whistling at kisses quite hilarious. The cast themselves were quite diverse too. To say it was set in 1930’s Verona, there were many different voices of Scotch, Welsh, English and one Juliet’s mother could easily have passed at the part of Eva Peron.

Speaking of Evita, Juliet’s shadow cast on the back wall of the stage when stood on her bed (doubling as her balcony,) was very Peron-esque from the Balcony of the Casa Rosada. –Just a nice little point there!

Some of the choreographed fight sequencing was almost certainly West End Story inspired, primarily due to the fact that flick-knives were used. A nice effect was the use of a ‘Flash, Bang, Wallop!’ type camera effect, which blinded at least the first 10 rows of the audience.

Personally, for me, the best part of the show was the Tarantella band. Being half Italian, this music I was quite familiar with on recordings and such, but to actually hear one live, adding to the tension of one of Shakespeare’s finest plays was fantastic. They added a haunting undertone to the play, stepping out ‘from the blackness’ with their music commenting on the action.

In comparison to the production of Othello last month, there were many. RSC obviously do Shakespeare ‘the best,’ there is no comparison. Their performance was practically faultless, and they all kept their characters –something which those in Othello did not do. It was also evident that the cast knew their characters well as they all added their own little quirks to them.

A very good performance indeed!
S.L.

Broadway's Spring Awakening is Being Put to Bed

2008-11-04T09:39:00.000-08:00

Spring Awakening's last Broadway performance will be on January 18, 2009. Why? Is it a victim of our economic times? Sadly, I think it is. It won the 2007 Tony for Best Musical plus 7 other Tony's. A blockbuster, a juggernaut. Well, it should be. In my opinion it's the best thing on Broadway. In fact, it's one of the best shows I've ever seen with a brilliant score by Duncan Sheik and lyrics and book by Steven Sater based on the first play of German playwright Frank Wedekind. Written and staged in 1891, it was banned as scandalous. It's an adult musical about children. Children left in the dark about their changing bodies and raging hormones. It's about ignorance and denial and their often dire ramifications. The staging is ingenious, taking teens coming of age in 1891 Germany, wearing clothing of the times, settings of the times, but modernizing it with bursts of lights and rock music as these frustrated children on the brink of adulthood express their teenage angst. It's emotionally charged with the joys and sorrows of sexual discovery and the consequence of ignorance thanks to unapproachable parents, teachers and clergy. The opening song sets the tone with the beautiful 15 year old Wendla singing "Mama who bore me, Mama who gave me, No way to handle things, Who made me so sad". Wendla who is so full of life and curious and asks questions that need to be answered but are glossed over by her puritanical mother. When it is later found she is pregnant, she has no idea how it happened.
This is musical theatre for theatre lovers who don't love musicals. The story is sensitive, profound, breathtakingly emotional and, in my opinion, a must-see.

The good news is, although it will soon close on Broadway, it will continue to touch audiences across the United States with it's American tour, and around the world with productions soon to open in London, Vienna, Toronto, Helsinki and Seoul. And I read in Playbill News that a film version is likely.

Spring Awakening is set to begin performances at the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith on January 23, 2009 with an official run from February 3rd to February 28th.

Slava's Snow Show - I wouldn't like to be a cleaner

2008-10-29T02:53:00.001-07:00

Ok how do you describe Slava's Snow Show... Beats me, its a special effects extravaganzer mixed with a clown show, Now as bizarre as that might sound it really captures your attention all the way through, there are lots of laughs and some great visuals. However as much you sit there thinking. This can't work, it does. The big finale special effect is STUNNING, the power from the wind machines can be felt right at the back of the auditorium and the amount of "Snow" that covers you is just phenomenal. And then to top that the auditoriom is filled with giant inflatable balls that the audience thrill in batting around. I have really done a bad job explaining this show but I defy anyone to explain it.. It's just superb. GO AND SEE IT. It's a once in a lifetime experience.

Seven Brothers!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2008-10-28T18:14:00.000-07:00

Milly gets more than she bargained for when she marries Adam Pontipee.
6 brother in law's, and they all live in the same log cabin.

My idea of heaven;
but she sets about finding them all wives.
With songs like Bless your Beautiful Hide, Goin' Courtin' and Wonderful Wonderful Day you know your gonna be traditionally entertained. With a large cast Lead by Steven Houghton Who's list of TV credits starts with London's Burning and takes in Bugs ,Holby City and Doctors,As his leading lady we have Susan McFadden, Grease is the Word winner and star of Grease in the West End as Sandy, both handle their roles very well, Yes another good show to add to the ever growing list to come to Manchester.

Essex comes to Manchester

2008-10-28T16:42:00.000-07:00

Yes David Essex returned to the Palace on Monday with his own show "All the Fun of the Fair",a year after his hit tour with Aspects of Love.

This show as you can probably guess is set around a traveling fair,where recently widowed Levi Lee (David Essex)struggles with his wife's tragic death, the advances of longtime family friend and newly divorced Rosa,not to mention his teenage son's tangled love life, all this and the prospect of another lean winter means Levi is gonna have to keep his wits about him.

Directed by Nikoli Foster who directed Aspects for Essex and joined by David Burrows who was also in the cast. He plays Harvey the father of Jack's forbidden love interest Alice. Debuting as Jack is local lad Paul-Ryan Carberry from Salford where he studied at Pendleton Collage.
In My opinion a fine debut it was too.
Now the music we all know, the hits and more of the man himself. What pleasantly surprised me was how easily the songs lent themselves to being adapted for a theatre production. Unlike so many Jukebox musicals where the story has to fit the music here the music and the story went together hand in hand. I think with just a slight reworking this show could turn into a real long term winner even without Mr Essex in the lead role.I liked it and if it comes back to our fair city I will go and see it again.

The Boyfreind

2008-10-28T15:58:00.000-07:00

Firstly apologies to all. I am now three shows behind.

Thinks"Aries you're a bad girl"

Last Tuesday I ventured out in the bitter cold to the Studio at the Lowry to see Salford Music and Performing Arts Service Youth Musical Theatre Company Perform Sandy Wilson's "The Boyfriend"
A 15 strong cast all from 11 different schools and colleges across Salford and beyond, who's average age is fifteen yes fifteen.
To most of us this musical is best remembered as a Ken Russel directed piece of cinema starring former cloth's horse (that's a model to you) Twiggy.
Set in a ladies finishing school it tells of love imaginary, love found and lost then found again.
Considering that all these performers are not from a specialist school for the performing arts and they rehearse in the evening and weekends after there regular school duties. this was well put together, a little shaky in one or two spots,but you cant hold that against them. What they lacked in finesse they more than made up for in enthusiasm.
Now one or two faces shone out from the rest, Henny Fox as Polly Browne Joe Carter as Bobby van Husen, keep an eye out for this boy he's got something good going for him and its not just his boyish good looks, and a young lady with a voice like a nightingale,Jess Hamp who plays the girl's teacher Madame Dubonnet. The music was provided by an accomplished five piece consisting of Piano ,Drums,Bass and two violins
Not resting on there past triumphs the company are looking for new members on Wednesday 5th November at Swinton High School between 5.30 and 7.00 pm if you fancy treading the boards, and think you have what it takes to be a performer then get yourself along,Richard Milton the head of MAPAS would be delighted to see you.
Just one thing you have to be between 12 & 19 to be a part of the cast, oh and live in the Salford area.

Beauty and the Beast plus Technology

2008-10-24T08:52:00.001-07:00

Beauty and the Beast at the Palace theatre in Manchester is a stunning recreation of the Disney classic. The costumes are supurb, escpecially that of Luminere with his flaming candle hands, Now regular readers will know I am not a huge fan of special effects (shut it Aries) but the effects in this are very well done and not overdone. Middle Aged Mary was able to watch the show without her hands clamped firmly over her ears incase some stray bang should make her jump. There was also a stunning effect when the beast changed in to the prince and the effect of the little boy as a tea cup is very clever. The show started with video projected on the gauze curtain which slowly melted in to live action, A great way of getting kids in this TVcentric world into live theatre. This show had Flying, Special Effects, Magic and great tunes so obviously I didnt like it....AHEM. It was FAB. (just dont tell anyone I said that)

Thumbs Up for The Battery's Down

2008-10-21T12:20:00.000-07:00

The internet television show I raved about on Sunday's Matinee is called The Battery's Down (www.thebatterysdown.com). It was created, written, directed, and choreographed by a young actor named Jake Wilson who also stars in it. It chronicles his day-to-day life and the trials and tribulations met with while trying to break into a career in musical theatre in New York City. One episode is funnier than the other. And the musical production numbers are wonderful parodies and/or pastiches of legitimate Broadway shows featuring many Broadway stars playing either themselves or hilariously exaggerated characters. I am totally hooked and you know me, when I love something passionately I want to share it with the world. Have a listen. The seed's been planted, it's beginning to bud. I think we're witnessing a new species of flower that will bloom into magnificence. A million thumbs up to The Battery's Down.

Ballerina Who Loves B-Boy a Beaut!

2008-10-15T09:49:00.000-07:00

For an amazing, astonishing, astoundingly awesome evening of jovial joyous jubilance, then the blithesome Ballerina Who Loves B-Boy is your ticket. Done with no lyrics, no dialogue ala ballet, it's a wonderful visual experience. Yes, it's flawed, the story's kind of syrupy, almost corny, but, oh the dancing is sick (that's a really, really good thing in the US). Did I love the music? No, not that I don't like hip hop music, but this was like "canned elevator" hip hop music. The beautiful ballerina's turnout was poor, and her fouettes sloppy (but then again, as a former ballet dancer, I guess I might be nitpicking, although my 12 year old daughter who is an accomplished ballet dancer noted it as well). To her credit, her arms were gorgeous and her extension and control excellent. The truth is, it was more of a display of break-dancing, locking, krumping and popping than ballet and I was gasping at the incredible moves of this Korean Extreme Crew.

The story is of So-Yeon (Yoo Eun Hye), a ballerina whose classical training is frequently interrupted by the noise from the street below. She and one of her classmates step out to watch. This leads to a showdown of dancing genres as both ballet and street dancers try to outdo each other. But it's not long before So-Yeon falls for the lead B-boy (Joung Young Kwang) and we eventually find her frustratingly trying to master the B-boys' moves. I don't think I'm ruining anything by telling you that she does master the moves, shows up in hip hop regalia, dances with her B-Boy and off they walk hand-in-hand. That said, the dancing is worth the price of admission. And what I thought was a very good marketing move, the audience was encouraged to take as many pictures as we wanted. You can see some of my photos in The Matinee's Gallery.

Fresh from three sold out years in Seoul and a hit run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, it's currently playing through October at off-Broadway's 37 Arts Theatre. (They're apparently on a world tour, so look out for them.)

Bewictched by Eastwick

2008-10-13T15:29:00.000-07:00

A Hell Of A Musical.
That's the official promotion line.
A Devil of a show to review.
That's my official line.

Marti Pellow is not only a very nice likable chap,but he is one hell of a musical performer.
In a role that he was born to play, that of the devilishly charming Daryl Van Horne, Pellow crackles with the pure joy of a child in a sweet shop. Returning to Manchester after his debut in Chicago helped by a new power to his not insubstantial vocal abilities, he leads this wonderful if undiscovered show about the awakening of three middle America suburban single women and their discovery that they can do things their way, without a man to steer them.
Eastwick also sees the return of a couple of fine performers. Namely Rachel Izen, last seen here in Hot Flush as Jessica and Poppy Tierney alongside David Essex as Guilletta Trapani in Aspects of Love. Both were well chosen for their role, with perhaps Rachel coming more into her own as Felicia Gabriel, the repressed leader of the town and matriarch of the oldest family of the said town.
A show with all the charisma of classic musical theatre and the fire and joy of new theatre, well worth catching on its 8 yes 8 month tour of the United kingdom culminating in a 12 day run in Mr Pellow's home town at the end of April next year.
Definitely one I would advise you to see. A joy to watch and some damn catchy tunes too.

A Song for the Lovers

2008-10-10T14:58:00.000-07:00

As part of the Lowry's Studio Season Monkeywood Theatre Company present there newly revised production till Saturday. Set in a Conservative Club in Manchester,is there such a place, suppose there must be. The action revolves around two step sisters and there inability to really communicate. It takes Davy, a youth of low intelligence, to fill in the blanks; clever Davy may not be, but sensitive to the plight of Catie he is.
It shows that even when we think we know what is happening in the lives of those close to us, sometimes it takes a stranger to point it out.
Both well written and acted "A Song for the Lovers" is worth paying a visit to see.
Not to doom laden but with an edge to make the grey cells tick over.
Well done to all
Director Jo Fisher
Writer and Actor Sarah McDonald Hughes
Actors Francesca Waite & Martin Gibbons

Grease vs Grease

2008-10-07T07:07:00.000-07:00

Being a reality show junkie, I had watched "Grease, You're the One that I Want" and was first on line for tickets when the show opened on Broadway last summer. We loved the winners Max Crumm and Laura Osnes. Max was such a down to earth cutie and Laura's voice was gorgeous. But we also loved some of the runners-up including Ashley Spencer and Derek Keeling. So we were thrilled to hear that the original cast was being replaced by these two runners-up. I was given the chance to meet the cast and of course jumped on it. I even let my daughter miss her dance classes that evening because I knew meeting Ashley and Derek would be a thrill for her. So off we went to Sardi's, a New York restaurant which is located in the heart of the theatre district. Known for the hundreds of caricatures of show business celebrities that adorn its walls, Sardi's opened at its current location on March 5, 1927. That's even before Madame Aries was born. Six members of the cast walked in including Ashley and Derek who play Sandy and Danny. To our surprise, one of our favorite American Idol contestants was among them. Ace Young, a season five finalist, and that year's heartthrob is the new Kenickie. We also met Janine Divita (Rizzo), Will Blum (Roger) and Kirsten Wyatt (Frenchie), the only one we had seen in previews. Each one of them was warm and personable. I chatted at length to Will Blum and Ace Young, both of whom were adorable and very forthcoming. Will told me there had been some changes made along with the cast changes so I left knowing I had to see it again. Last Wednesday was a school holiday and a perfect day to catch the matinee. We arrived at the theatre fifteen minutes before show time to find Dominic Fortuna who plays Vince Fontaine on stage warming up the audience. This was a new and fun addition which really got the audience fired up, always a good thing. The overture starts, the lockers open and out come the T-Birds singing the title song "Grease" and then the Pink Ladies. Oh, I love this show. It's a party, a celebration of life. And as much as we loved it the first time, we enjoyed it even more this time. Maybe it was because we had met the cast. They were all great and the changes in the staging really worked. I especially thought Ashley Spencer was wonderful as Sandy. I had seen her as Amber Von Tussle in Hairspray and was very impressed with her comedic timing and presence. And Ace Young, what can I say. Smashing. He sang well, he moved well, he played the tough guy well, and well, he could have played the lead. Not to say Derek wasn't great in the part of Danny. He was very good and definitely looked like "Danny". Ace really has stage appeal and the "it" factor and I smell a great future for him. He did tell me that there was film in his future and he does have a CD out and a single "Addicted" on the charts, plus he was nominated for a Grammy for co-writing "It's Not Over" for fellow American Idol finalist, Chris Daughtry. Janine Divita was wonderful as Rizzo, a part totally unlike the real person, as was Will Blum as Roger. Kirsten Wyatt was the same scene stealer she was the first time we saw her, very perky and adorable in the role, very much like her real personality. After the show the fun continued when we met the cast as they left the theatre. They all remembered us and treated us like old friends. Ace hugged and kissed us and was as playful as he had been at Sardi's, including bopping me on the head with a playbill when I said out loud while he was taking a picture with another fan "isn't it a pity he's so ugly".

The first time we saw this production of Grease we loved it, but the second time is a charm. This edition of Grease is a winner. The cast is fabulous, the changes successful, and of course there's the wonderful score. Jade and I had a blast and I didn't think about my waning bank account for the rest of the day.

Rent - Filmed Live on Broadway Turns Up the Heat

2008-10-02T06:13:00.000-07:00

I want to shout it from the rooftop of that dilapidated building the struggling friends of Rent lived in, THIS IS AN AMAZING THEATRICAL EXPERIENCE. Do you think I liked it? Like isn't strong enough. I LOVED IT. I so want to see it again but I can't. For some reason Sony's Hot Ticket Division decided to screen it on an extremely limited basis, only four screenings over four days. And only in the USA and Canada. Maybe they were just testing the waters since this was the first endeavor of this kind. I emailed Sony to ask why and to plead for another go-round, not only here but in the UK and beyond. I want to share this experience with all my friends around the world. Maybe they'll put out a DVD which would be fabulous, but you have to see it on a big screen with an audience sharing the experience. It's as close as you could possibly get to seeing the live thing. For me, the added dimension of seeing the sweat and tears on the actors faces had my adrenaline pumping big time. I was even able to read the tattoo on Roger's hand (an homage to his dead girlfriend, April). Rent touched every emotion. I was laughing, crying, empathizing, sympathizing, applauding every song until my hands burned. Both of the friends who accompanied me called this week to thank me for inviting them to join me. They loved it as much as I did. I'll let you know if the Sony people get back to my people (that would be me). God bless Jonathan Larson, the genius behind Rent who suddenly died the day before it opened off-Broadway at the age of 35. It's such a pity he never got to see how this touching masterpiece captured the hearts of so many people.

Othello

2008-10-01T08:51:00.000-07:00

Frantic Assembly's production of 'Othello' at the Quays Theatre in The Lowry, was certainly not what I expected.

As you are seated, much like 'The Phantom of the Opera,' you are cast directly into the action with the stage curtains already open, and the scene set out before you -a pub with a snooker table and a slot machine- not something I'd expect from a Shakespeare production...

Neither was I expecting the 5 minute dance routine which opened the show, and introduced the themes of the play. The play was very true to Shakespeare's script, (all Shakespearean language, set in a modern setting, with the inclusion of some modern hand gesticulations and vulgar vocabulary.) However, this worked well in my opinion, as did the occasional dance routines during the play, including a Square Dance with baseball caps and bats.

The play kept all Shakespeare's themes, and even the war in the original script was here, but against two gangs rather than two fleets, -which made for some odd ''the master has come ashore," lines.

All in all, the choreography, the set and the special effects (Othello's suicide,) were all very well put together. The dialect was a bit too much at times, and didn't really suit the Shakespearean words with a Yorkshire accent, but it didn't take away from the enjoyability of the show.

A good effect was a pool table which doubled for Othello and Desdemona's marital bed, which the cast incorporated into the show often, by delviering soliloquies on top of it, and dancing around it, dragging it along. The set was very simple, but the bar walls sometimes pulled back to reveal the street outside, and also the 'pub' toilets, which was very effective.

All in all, a very good production with the strangest programmes I've ever seen --it was the actual script to the show! Good or not? -Well, you could at least tell when they'd messed their lines up!

S.L.

Cant Stop Smiling at Cant Smile without You

2008-10-01T00:01:00.000-07:00

Cant Smile Withou You is the new Barry Manilow musical appearing at the Palace Theatre in Manchester. If you like a bit of cheese and easy going fun then this is for you. All of the best Manilow hits are featured, including Copacabana..I'm sure thats been used in a musical before. Chesney Hawkes really stands out in this show. Prior to this performance I have only seen him in panto and of course in the charts many years ago. Many shows that have "Names" in the cast tend to just use the "Name" to get people in to the show and not because they are right for the role. Not in this case. One of the nice things about this show is the band featured in the plot actually played instruments and when not required on stage were playing with the rest of the onstage orchestra. The story is of a band that go to seek fame and fortune in America and the trials and tribulations of love, showbusiness and friendship. Lots of laughs and groans to be had.

The ExTra Factor

2008-09-29T15:00:00.000-07:00

Well! Celebs everywhere, a girl almost went dizzy. T'was my own fault, I turned to fast. Seriously , I did, well all those stars Colleene Nolan, Lisa Riley,An them two from 't nicker factory on Corrie, and that was just in the audience. All out for the first night of a touring production on a short engagement in our fair city. Yes The Xtra Factor came to the Opera house. Written by Dave Simpson, and Directed by Steven Leatherland. The guys how brought you "The Naked Truth"Stars of the show included Anthony Costa (Blue) Russ Spencer(Scooch) The Very Delish.... Anthony Kavanagh (Grease is the word finalist) Not forgetting the fabulous Kevin Kennedy Better known to us lesser mortals as Curly Watts. Oh and three girls, A Pop Idol, the none related one from Eternal, and a Hollyoaks star. A Good ensemble who, on the whole, work well. Mr Costa is a gem as a slightly geekish mummies boy,who may or may not get the girl, Kavanagh is perfect as the skally with a secret. What was that? Oh the plot? Its set in a TV Studio and the house where the six finalists of a reality show are lodged. It follows there last two weeks on the show with all the ups downs and side swipes that can happen in shows like this. The songs are a vehicle to show them in true Pop Idol , X factor stylee More a play with music than a musical.That said it ain't so bad. Kevin Kennedy as the wisecracking recovering alcoholic is for me the real star.Hopefully we will be seeing more of his talents SOON PLEASE. Feel good factor? A 7 1/2. singing 9. If its coming to a theatre close to you make the effort you might get a surprise. All N All a tongue in cheek look at the world of reality TV.

Willow Wood's 'Fifth Enchanted Evening.'

2008-09-28T12:06:00.000-07:00

As the name suggests, this indeed was Willow Wood's 'Fifth Enchanted Evening.' Organised by Mike Styan, a member of a few local amateur operatic societies, this event was held especially for the wonderful work done by all at the Willow Wood Hospice.

The evening was held at Ashton Town Hall, and featured a variety of performers from the local societies, singing all the well-known songs from the musicals, ranging from The Phantom of the Opera, to Fiddler on the Roof, to Grease and Chess.

Overall, the night was very well executed with a definite 'In Concert' feel (the performers plus a piano,) and a definite range of voices singing the standards. I think special recognition should go to Vincent (I forget his surname,) but his deep Bass voice gave a wonderful rendition of 'Ol' Man River' and 'If I Were A Rich Man.'

However, the performance of the night was easily a rendition of 'O Mio Babbino Caro,' which shook the chandeliers on the roof, even though the Phantom's 'Music of the Night' did not. The evening was hosted by Graham Norton who's been on the amateur circuit for many years, and he did a good job of entertaining the audience who must have had an average age of 60, and I was easily the youngest person in the audience by at least 40 years (asides from my girlfriend, who is 17.)

Anyway, the performances were all very well polished, with only two slip ups noticed by myself -which were only wrong lryics (the same verse of The Music of the Night was sung twice, and the lyrics to Hey! Big Spender, were all mixed up,) but my 'musically trained' girlfriend (she plays the violin!) noticed quite a few intonation problems. Still, nothing major and nothing which didn't take away from the enjoyability factor of the show.

Overall, a very pleasant evening, all for a good cause! -There was even a raffle at the interval, with prizes of £15 worth of Timpson vouchers! ---If you need your shoes repairing, or your keys cutting -you know where to go!

Virginia Woolf's Waves

2008-09-23T16:25:00.000-07:00

At The Lowry tonight I was surprised by the play "Waves".
An adaptation by Katie Mitchell of the Virginia Woolf Novel"The Waves". Using a combination of live film and sound effects, the eight strong cast take you on a roller coaster ride of emotions Following a group of friends from 1893 to 1933. Not one for the everyday,this thought provoking piece of theatre took me about ten minutes to settle into, its all there the repressed sexuality, the oppressed feminism, the inner child.
If you like your theatre light and frothy DO NOT GO TO SEE THIS PLAY. however if you enjoy challenging theatre book now.This National Theatre Company are touring with this next stop is Bath taking in Dublin ,The Hague and Luxembourg before a short run on Broadway.
I wish them well.

The Broadway Concierge and Ticket Center

2008-09-19T09:58:00.000-07:00

Broadway veterans Bebe Neuwirth and Tom Wopat were among the stars on hand to launch a great new service for theatre lovers which opened yesterday in the Times Square Information Center located at 1560 Broadway, between 46th and 47th Street. The Broadway Concierge and Ticket Center is the only place in New York where you can get tickets to just about every Broadway and many off-Broadway shows. It's the official one-stop shopping source for Broadway tickets and information.
The Broadway Concierge & Ticket Center offers a wide variety of services, including general Broadway information in six languages, show recommendations, ticket purchase (regular and premium priced tickets), restaurant reservations, hotel reservations, car services, attraction reservations, added-value experiences for individuals and groups, parking information, free neighborhood maps, as well as special events and giveaways. It's open Monday to Saturday 9am - 7pm and Sunday 10am to 6pm.

Miracle in the Studio

2008-09-18T17:08:00.000-07:00

I was in for a bit of a shock on our second visit to the Lowry Studio. Miracle is the story of Will Hung, Ex rent boy and porn star who has an amazing gift, and no I'm not talking about his endowment. He can cure any disease, yes a true miracle..only catch is you have to sleep with him. Not a problem for his adoring Hungians (fans) but imagine, You have an incurable disease and you are straight. What levels will you go to, to ensure you continue to live. And what if you are a Catholic priest. Miracle explores sex and sexuality and morals and morality on a very uncomfortable level. The performance was superb, The casting EXCELLENT. The story compelling. I must confess I am finding it very difficult to review as the performance left me literally speechless for most of the journey home. I still feel uncomfortable comprehending the dilemma left at the end of the show and without wanting to "give it away", It really leaves you with the ultimate of moral questions with no easy answers. To try and explain how draining it was for the audience I have to mention the fabulous cast at the curtain call. Usually you will see a see of smiling but tired faces...Not in this case. All the cast looked like they needed to go in to counselling themselves to recover from the emotional whirlwind this show leaves you in.
A special mention must go to Ste Myott who portrayed Will Hung so expertly.
If you can cope with a show that will make you uncomfortable, think and question morality on more levels than you could ever imagine then this is the show for you. A word of warning..This brilliant show will leave even the most open minded person questioning what is right and wrong and believe me there is no answer to the dilemma you are left with....
Last word well there are three ... A MUST SEE

Musical Madness with Our House

2008-09-17T03:16:00.000-07:00

Our House is very reminiscent of the film Sliding Doors. It explores the consequences of choices you make and how one simple choice can change the whole of your life. Surprisingly this heavy moral backbone to the show does not detract from the fun of the show helped by the amazing energy on stage by all of the cast, the old adage of "I was tired just watching" is certainly true here. The staging was superb and Paul Kieve's costume effects were stunning. A simple but very clever concept of changing the colours of the doors and costume of the main character to show which of the consequences you are watching was pulled off brilliantly with the changes from one to the other raising applause from the audience on a number of occassions.
The casting was spot on, Steve Brookstein as Joe's Dad was totally believable and Gwyneth Strong as Kath Casey was spot on. The lead role of Joe Casey was played by Chris Carswell who was making his professional debut in Our House, and if his performance in this show is anything to go by, the start of a promising career.
Our House is a massive feel good musical with good humour, innovative dance and stunning special effects. I didn't want to leave when it finished...

Applause to Charles Strouse, A Musical Genius

2008-09-16T15:13:00.000-07:00

It's not often you meet someone of Charles Strouse's caliber. He's a true genius and I so admire genius. And a really, really nice man. If you're wondering who he is. Well, I'm sure you've heard his music. Have you seen Annie, or Bye Bye Birdie or Applause? They all won Tony Awards for Best Score? And he was nominated for four other scores. Then there are the scores he wrote for movies such as "Bonnie and Clyde", "The Night They Raided Minsky's", "All Dogs Go to Heaven" and "Ishtar" (okay that one bombed but not because of the music). Well I had the good fortune to spend an hour in his company a couple of weeks ago and I can't stop thinking about what a wonderful hour that was. He was so personable and very humble and very real. (I could go for a guy like him even if he is 80 years old. Not that he'd have me, and I'm already taken anyway. And so is he. In fact his wife of many years was there and she was lovely.) The adorable and brilliant Lin-Manuel Miranda, creator, composer, lyricist, and star of this year's Tony Award winner for Best Musical, sat with him in the front of the room asking him questions about his childhood, his first girlfriend, his first song, and his first break. Mr. Strouse shared anecdotes about the shows and movies he worked on and the people he worked with, both the actors and the creative teams. There was a piano in the room so he was able to play some of his songs including "It's A Hard Knock Life" from Annie and "I Got a Lot of Living to Do" from Bye Bye Birdie. Ironically, Lin-Manuel Miranda had played Conrad Birdie in his first school play in sixth grade, and he sang the song complete with the Birdie snarl. Charles Strouse introduced us to lyricist Susan Birkenhead with whom he is writing a new musical adaptation of the movie "The Night They Raided Minski's" (this is inside information guys). Afterwards we were able to chat and take pictures with both Charles Strouse and Lin-Manuel Miranda. I was even able to chat a bit with Lin-Manuel Miranda's parents. It's easy to see where he gets his adorableness from. They were both lovely. And Charles Strouse, Buddy to his friends, was so open and sweet to both me and my daughter Jade who he seemed to be very taken with. It was a glorious night, one I won't soon forget.

In bed with Lord Arthur

2008-09-13T02:15:00.001-07:00

This was our first visit to The Studio at the Lowry, the performance space was reminiscent of my college drama studio, compared to the other performance spaces at the Lowry you would describe it as intimate and I think that worked for Theatre North's production of Lord Arthurs Bed by Martin Lewton. The play is set in modern day in the apartment of Donald & Jim, a modern couple in a post civil partnership era. Between them they tell the audience the fascinating true story of Ernest Boulton, Frederick Park and Lord Arthur Clinton MP and the interesting and often graphic story of cross dressing and "un-natural acts" in the late 1860s. However for me the really clever part of the play was the portrayal of the relationship between Donald & Jim, often uncomfortable to watch this performance would be very close to home for a lot of couples. The play also touched on the very real effects of homophobia in a politically correct world, where looks and snigger's have replaced the in your face abuse. The characters Donald & Jim were played superbly by Paul Kendrick and Paul Spruce and were entirely believable as a gay couple, something that is often done completely wrong. Donald is comfortable with his sexuality but Jim has issues with his Mum, work and ultimately his own identity and his "Catholic Guilt". With all this you may be surprised to find that I would describe this as an uplifting show, however on leaving this show I was left with the feeling that love will get you through anything and also a greater understanding of struggles that gay people still face in this so called equal society.

Avenue Q is so Q-ute!

2008-09-01T09:14:00.000-07:00

I took my husband Jerry to see Avenue Q yesterday for our wedding anniversary. The whole day was my treat. We took the Long Island Railroad into Manhattan, a 35 minute ride from Rockville Centre. Then walked to 51st street where I had made reservations at Ruth Christ's Steakhouse, one of Jerry's favorite restaurants. After dinner we walked over to 45th street to the Golden Theatre. I hadn't told Jerry what we were seeing so when we got to the theatre he said to me "are we seeing a puppet show?" I jokingly told him "yes it is a puppet show, but you'll love it because it has puppet nudity in it." The Tony Award winning Best Musical (2004) just celebrated it's 5th anniversary. I was glad to see it was a full house, a good sign, since Broadway shows are not doing well in our depressed economy. The set is in view as you enter the theatre. It is a tenement, a rundown building on Avenue Q.

The overture begins and a puppeteer in gray clothing comes out carrying a very colorful puppet, Princeton, the newly graduated student who is looking for affordable housing and a purpose in life. Gradually we are introduced to the other residents of Avenue Q, some puppets, some human, including the building superintendent, Gary Coleman (yes, the child star from "Different Strokes" but played by a woman). So there are human characters, puppets and puppeteers acting and singing and making the puppets come alive. Some of the puppets are supposed to be human, some monsters. It all sounds very confusing but it works.

Avenue Q is sweet, charming, touching, hilariously funny and definitely not for kids. And guess what? There is puppet nudity as well as salty language and adult content. They touch on everything from racism, sexual orientation, pornography, Schadenfreude (pleasure in someone else's pain), to first love, coming out, purpose in life and idealistic desires to make a difference in the world. The score is great with funny yet touching lyrics ("It Sucks to Be Me", "Everyone's a Little Bit Racist", "There's a Fine, Fine Line"), the characters are all very endearing and the cast wonderfully talented.

I don't want to give too much away because it is some of the surprises that made it really fun but I will tell you my favorite character is Christmas Eve, a Japanese immigrant with two master degrees in social work who can't seem to book a client. So if you're looking for some good laughs and a purpose in life, take the Q train downtown to Avenue Q and stay a while.

Pal Joey Un"Zipped"

2008-08-18T12:10:00.000-07:00

With the success of the revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific, it's exciting to look forward to a revival of another Richard Rodgers musical Pal Joey opening in previews on Broadway November 14th, with the official opening slated for December 11th at Roundabout Theatre's Studio 54. This one, in collaboration with lyricist Lorenz Hart, includes Broadway songbook classics "Bewitched, Bothered and Bewildered", "I Could Write a Book", "The Lady is a Tramp" and "My Funny Valentine". The original Broadway production of Pal Joey with book written by John O'hara opened on Christmas Day 1940 and starred Gene Kelly as Joey Evans, a brash scheming song and dance man with dreams of owning his own nightclub. A 1962 Broadway revival, which was actually more successful than the original, starred Bob Fosse as Joey, with Frank Sinatra playing the lead in the 1952 film. The 2008 revival will star Christian Hoff winner of a Best Featured Actor in a Musical Tony Award for his role of Tommy DeVito in Jersey Boys. Also in the cast is "friend of The Matinee" Stockard Channing playing former burlesque stripper Vera Simpson, a rich widow the conniving Joey takes up with in hopes of convincing her to finance his dream of owning a night club of his own "Chez Joey". The role of Vera Simpson was played by Vivienne Segal in the original staging and Viveca Lindfors opposite Fosse in the 1962 revival, with Rita Hayworth in the role in the 1952 film. Stockard Channing, for your information, played Rizzo in the movie Grease and was nominated for an Oscar for her role in Six Degrees of Separation. Stage and film veteran Martha Plimpton, last seen on Broadway in Top Girls for which she was nominated for a Tony, and 35 films including The Goonies, Parenthood and Mosquito Coast, will star as Gladys Bumps, a chorus girl with a dislike for Joey. The role was played by June Havoc (Gypsy Rose Lee's real life sister "Baby June") in 1940 and Barbara Nichols in the film. The Gladys Bumps character was a minor one but has been tweaked to be more prominent by playwright Richard Greenberg's adaptation, including Gladys singing the song "Zip" which has traditionally been Vera's song.

A great show, great music, great songs to bewitch us all. Another feather in the heavy plumage of Roundabout's Artistic Director, Todd Haimes' hat. Kudos to his brilliance and vision.

The Long Awaited West Side Story Revival

2008-08-12T10:48:00.000-07:00

It was announced this week that the long awaited revival of West Side Story will begin previews on February 23, 2009 with the official opening planned for March 19, 2009 after an out of town engagement between December 16, 2008 and January 17, 2009 at the National Theatre in Washington, D.C. where the musical made its world premiere in 1957.

This is the second revival endeavor in the past two years for nonagenarian Arthur Laurents who was nominated this past year for a Tony for his direction of Gypsy.

Mr. Laurents has stated, “This show will be radically different from any other production of West Side Story ever done. The musical theatre and cultural conventions of 1957 made it next to impossible for the characters to have authenticity. Every member of both gangs was always a potential killer even then. Now they actually will be. Only Tony and Maria try to live in a different world." The fact that he can still speak so eloquently for a man of 90 is impressive, but to still have a vision and the spunk to want to take on such a daunting task of reincarnating this musical classic is very inspirational.

Laurents, for those few who don't know, wrote the books for both West Side Story and Gypsy. West Side Story's score was created by Leonard Bernstein (music) and Stephen Sondheim (lyrics) in his Broadway debut. The show was directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins whose original Tony-winning choreography will be recreated by Tony Award nominee, Joey McKneely (The Boy From Oz). This production with an onstage cast of 37 and 30 musicians in the orchestra pit, will introduce the unprecedented element of selectively weaving Spanish throughout the book and music.

The show takes Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet to the upper west side of New York City and the turbulence between rival street gangs of different ethnic backgrounds, the Jets and the Sharks in the 1950's. Two star-crossed lovers, Tony and Maria, find themselves caught in the middle of the rivalry. The Spanish dialogue will not only make the production more contemporary, but will emphasize the conflict and misunderstanding between the Sharks and the Jets.

The Bernstein/Sondheim score is considered to be one of Broadway's finest and features such classics of American musical theatre as "Tonight", "Somewhere", "America,"and "I Feel Pretty".

This is one to look forward to, even just to see what Arthur Laurents has up his sleeve and how well he can deliver. One good thing about West Side Story opening in the 2008-2009 Tony season, it won't have to go up against In the Heights (which won the 2007-2008 Tony award for Best Musical) with its very optimistic Latino perspective which could have had the potential of creating a whole new type of rivalry.

Happy Talk About South Pacific

2008-08-04T08:26:00.000-07:00

The first ever Broadway revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein's South Pacific opened on Broadway this year and it swept the Tony Awards winning Best Revival of a Musical, Best Actor in a Musical and five other Tony's. But I have yet to see it. It garnered mostly rave reviews with perhaps the most important being that of Ben Brantley, chief theatre critic of the New York Times who said, "I know we're not supposed to expect perfection in this imperfect world, but I'm darned if I can find one serious flaw in this production." Hm, the next available tickets are for October 21st. But will Brazilian opera singer Paul Szot, who won the Tony for Best Actor in a Musical for his portrayal of Emile DeBecque, and Kelli O'Hara as Nellie Forbush still be in it? Who doesn't love a Rodgers and Hammerstein score. "Bali Ha'i", "Some Enchanted Evening", "Happy Talk", "There is Nothing Like a Dame", "I'm Gonna Wash That Man Right Out of My Hair", and "Younger than Springtime" have become worldwide standards. I adored all of the Rodgers and Hammerstein scores as a child and knew every word to every song and still do. So why didn't I buy tickets as soon as I heard it was being revived? In case you didn't know South Pacific is based on two short stories by James Michener from his 1948 Pulitzer Prize winning book "Tales of the South Pacific".

The original Broadway production production opened in 1949 and closed in 1954 after 1,925 performances. It was nominated for 10 Tony Awards and won them all in 1950, making it the only show (play or musical) to win best musical, best direction and all four acting awards, Ezio Pinza as Emile DeBecque, Mary Martin as Nellie Forbush, Myron McCormick as Luther Billis and Juanita Hall as Bloody Mary with direction by Josh Logan who co-wrote the book with Oscar Hammerstein. (Mary Martin also starred in the original West End production which ran between 1951 and 1953.) It was a critical and box office hit and spawned many successful stage revivals as well as the 1958 film adaptation and a 2001 made-for-television movie.

The 1958 film starred Rossano Brazzi and Mitzi Gaynor as Emile DeBecque and Nellie Forbush. Juanita Hall reprised her Tony Award winning performance as Bloody Mary. She also sang on the cast album but ironically her singing was dubbed in the movie. In fact, the only principal cast members whose own singing voices were used in the film were that of Mitzi Gaynor and Ray Walston who played Luther Billis.

In 2001 an Australian made-for-television movie was made starring Harry Connick Jr. as Lt. Cable and Glenn Close as Nellie Forbush. It was criticized for many reasons including changing the order of the songs, cutting out "Happy Talk" and casting Glenn Close who was felt by many to be too old to play the role of someone who describes herself in song as "immature and incurably green" in the song "I'm in Love With a Wonderful Guy".

I've seen both movies and the television film was okay but not nearly as good as the original 1958 film. Even though I'm a big Harry Connick Jr. fan, I just couldn't understand why they would remake the already wonderful film. Hopefully with Harry and Glenn in the movie, it turned viewers unfamiliar with Rodgers and Hammerstein on to the wonders of their music. Other than that, why bother?

If you listened to this week's Matinee show, you'll have heard my 13 year old niece, Mimi who's visiting from Tokyo, talk about how much she loved the show. Geeze, she came all that way from Japan and got to see it. How'd that happen? Really, I'm happy for her. She loves musical theatre as much as I do but I just have to see this show. As I've said here many a time, so many shows, so little time and money.

9 to 5 and More Dolly News

2008-07-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

If you listened to last Sunday's Matinee show, you'll have heard me report that 9 to 5: The Musical with music and lyrics by Dolly Parton will open in previews on Broadway in March of 2009 and then officially open on April 23rd. It'll star Megan Hilty as Doralee which was played by Dolly in the 1980 movie, Stephanie J. Block playing Judy, the Jane Fonda role, and Allison Janney in the Lily Tomlin role of Violet. It will be housed in the Marquis Theatre located in the Marriott Marquis Hotel right across from Duffy Square on Broadway. Hilty and Block played Glinda and Elphaba, respectively, in Wicked. Allison Janney played CJ Cregg, the president's press secretary on tv's "The West Wing" and she has been seen in "Juno" as Juno's stepmother and as Prudy Pingleton in the movie "Hairspray". Mark Kudisch will play their lying, egotistical, sexist boss, Franklin Hart Jr., the part so sleazily played by Dabney Coleman in the movie. Kudisch most recently starred on Broadway in Roundabout Theatre's revival of The Apple Tree with his ex-fiance, Kristen Chenoweth. He also played a kinky lawyer in the HBO television series "Sex in the City". 9 to 5: The Musical will be directed by Wicked director, Joe Mantello, and choreographed by Andy Blankenbuehler who won the Tony this year for Best Choreography for In the Heights. With Dolly's music, the great cast and all the connections to Wicked, how could this miss?

Madame Aries, James and I also discussed another stage musical Dolly is writing based on her life, and some big names are hot to star as Dolly including Reese Witherspoon and Kristen Chenoweth. Dolly has been quoted as citing both as possibilities, however, she is a huge fan of Scarlett Johansson and thinks she would be perfect for the role. If you want my opinion, Chenoweth would be the best for the stage role. She has the right stature, the right vibe and the chops. I could see Johansson or Witherspoon in a movie version, with my preference being Witherspoon. I have to add that I am a fan of all three, in fact they are three of my favorite actresses.

And one more little Dolly tidbit: Dolly has ranked fifth in a nationwide British survey of single lesbians as the hottest female celebrity over 50. Helen Mirren, Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep and Goldie Hawn came in ahead of her. Joan Collins came in sixth. I can't believe Madame Aries didn't make the list. On the male side, single gay men chose Piers Brosnan as number one, followed by Bruce Willis, Richard Gere, Harrison Ford, Mel Gibson and Sean Connery. The poll was taken by the LGBT dating site gay-PARSHIP.

Meryl Streep Stars in Mamma Mia......But Can She Sing?

2008-07-21T06:17:00.000-07:00

I took Jade to see Mamma Mia the movie yesterday. We were anxious to see it because the Broadway production was one of our favorite musicals ever. Would the movie deliver? We waited on line for the 2:00 show. The mother and daughter ahead of us got tickets. We were next. SOLD OUT! A good sign for the movie but where did that leave us. I purchased tickets for the 4:45 show and we went around the block to get Italian ices then walked home. We left our home again at 4:00 because, although we already had our tickets, we wanted good seats. Good thing we did. Sold out again. But would the movie be as good as the show. I had purposely avoided reading any critiques because I wanted to form my own untainted opinion.

The movie takes place on a beautiful Greek island where Donna, played by Meryl Streep, has raised her daughter, Sophie, alone while running a small, rundown hotel. It opens with Sophie singing I have a Dream while mailing letters to her three possible fathers inviting them to her wedding. Her two best friends arrive on the island and she tells them she has found her mother's diary and invited three men, one of which might possibly be her father, to her wedding without her mother's knowledge. They sing Honey, Honey. It all seems so corny. It just isn't translating well. Yet! Enter Meryl Streep greeting her two best friends, once her backup singers in the musical trio Donna and the Dynamos, at the ferry. Tanya (Christine Baranski) and Rosie (Julie Walters) arrive and the fun begins. These three can do no wrong and as for Meryl Streep, well it's another Oscar-worthy performance and very different from anything you've ever seen her do. The Dancing Queen scene with the three of them and all the women on the island is worth the price of admission. Then the "dads" arrive and more fun. Sam (Pierce Brosnan) and Harry (Colin Firth) meet at the boat slip and find they've missed the last ferry until tomorrow. Then we meet Bill (Stellan Skarsgard) who is one of the possible dads and he just happens to have a boat. Serendipity. Mind you, they did not know each other before this. Their counter scene singing Voulez-vous with all the men on the island is another side-splitting scene well worthy of attention.

I won't give the rest of the story away but I will tell you Benny Andersson of ABBA, who wrote the music with Bjorn Ulvaeus, also of ABBA, and Stig Anderson, makes a cameo appearance as a piano player in one of the musical numbers. And I have to mention the indigenous inhabitants of the island who pop up as backup singers in almost every musical number. As for the singing of these fine actors who are not known for their vocal talent, I will rate them for you. Mind you, this is my opinion. Pierce Brosnan, I love you Pierce but, ugh, keep your day job. Stellan Skarsgard, not bad. Colin Firth has a pleasant voice. Julie Walters and Christine Baranski are both so funny who cares whether they can sing. Amanda Seyfried who plays Sophie is very appealing and has a lovely voice. And then there's Meryl Streep. Can she sing? You bet she can. She was wonderful. Not amazing but very, very good.

So for 108 minutes of pure light-hearted fun, don't miss Mamma Mia. You're sure to leave the theatre with an ABBA song in your heart.

A Wicked New Production of Godspell Finds It's Home on Broadway

2008-07-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

The eagerly awaited revival of Godspell has found a home on Broadway. The Stephen Schwartz/John-Michael Tebelak musical Godspell will play the Barrymore Theatre, replacing David Mamet's comedy November which ended its limited engagement July 13. The first preview date has been announced as September 29th with an official opening October 23rd. Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel will play the Jesus role. Additional casting is expected shortly. Creel has been seen on Broadway in Thoroughly Modern Millie for which he was nominated for a Tony for Best Actor in a Musical and La Cage aux Folles. He was last seen as Bert in Mary Poppins on the West End replacing Gavin Lee who went on to originate the role on Broadway.

Godspell was conceived and directed by 22 year old John-Michael Tebelak as his Masters Thesis project at Carnegie Mellon University in 1970. Tebelak had had thoughts of someday becoming an Episcopal minister and he based the play on the Gospel According to St. Matthew and originally interpolated pop songs and Episcopal hymns set to music written by cast members. Stephen Schwartz was commissioned to write the music and lyrics that we know today when the show which had been very well received at Carnegie Mellon moved to off-off-Broadway theatre Cafe la Mama and was seen by producers who became interested in giving the show a commercial production. It opened at the off-Broadway Cherry Lane Theatre in 1971 and later moved to the larger Promenade Theatre where it became one of the longest-running off-Broadway musicals. It moved to Broadway's Broadhurst Theatre in June 1976 and ended its run in September 1977.

Stephen Schwartz, composer and lyricist wrote some very memorable songs including "Day by Day", "All Good Gifts" and "Prepare Ye the Way of the Lord". He had previously written the music and lyrics for Pippin (although it did not open until 1972), and most recently the music for Wicked. A brilliant composer, obviously one of America's best.

Tebelak co-wrote the screenplay for the 1973 movie with David Greene. He wrote and staged liturgical drama for the famed St. John the Divine Episcopal Church in New York City. He sadly died in 1985 of a heart attack at the age of 36.

The Broadway Musical, They're Dropping Like Flies

2008-07-06T10:27:00.000-07:00

Food prices are up, milk, flour, staple goods. Gas prices are exorbitant. Everything is more expensive than even a year ago. Oh sure, prices go up on a regular basis, but not at this rate. Unfortunately, the arts are affected too and so Broadway had a tough season. Yes, the biggest shows are still going strong, Wicked, Lion King, Mamma Mia, even Little Mermaid. But ticket sales are down for many shows and desperate measures are being taken to try to break even, but many just can't make it. Although entertaining, they need to be blockbusters, juggernauts, to survive these days. The first to close was Cry Baby which shut its doors on June 22nd. A Catered Affair is closing July 27th and A Chorus Line is closing August 18th. All these shows had relatively short runs. They were good. I saw them all. But they just were not good enough. It was curtains for Curtains which closed its doors on June 29th after playing 511 performances and 26 previews. And I had previously reported on The Matinee that Rent would be closing after a respectable 11 year run. It just ran it's course. Also closing this week is November the critically acclaimed comedy starring Nathan Lane. Lane had previously announced that he would leave the show on July 13th, but the production itself had not confirmed that it would close upon his departure.

Other shows are taking desperate measures to try and keep afloat. Case in point, Grease stars Max Crumm and Laura Osnes who won the roles of Danny and Sandy on the television reality show, "Grease, You're the One That I Want", are leaving the show and being replaced by two of the runners up on the show, Ashley Spencer (who I saw playing Amber in Hairspray) and Derrick Keeling who came in 3rd on the show. Both Ashley and Derrick look more the part and I think they'll do a fine job. I must admit I did vote for Crumm and Osnes, however, they got very mediocre reviews. I thought the show was very good and they were both decent, but I admit I was starstruck after seeing and following them on the television show. Grease also recently added Taylor Hicks, season 5 "American Idol" winner, to play Teen Angel. Looks like they're pulling out all the stops to stay on the Great White Way.

But for every show that is leaving Broadway, two or three are waiting in the wings to take a stab at being the next Broadway juggernaut. Stay tuned to The Matinee to hear what is in the offing. It's all very exciting albeit precarious.

Evita Comes to the Opera House in Manchester

2008-06-23T09:44:00.000-07:00

Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice's Evita makes a stop along its UK tour route at the Opera House tonight until Sunday, July 5th starring West End actress Louise Dearman in the role of Evita Peron, Seamus Cullen, a finalist from the hit BBC TV programme "Any Dream Will Do" as Che Guevara, and Mark Heenehan as Juan Peron.

The story of Evita, told entirely through song and dance, follows the life of Argentina's infamous Eva Peron. It begins in 1934 and follows Eva as a young girl from her small hometown to Buenos Aires where she uses her female wiles to climb the ladder of success, first as a model, then an actress, and finally as the wife of General Juan Peron. When Peron is elected president, Eva becomes the most powerful woman in South America.

Originally conceived as a concept album, Evita was destined from the beginning for the stage. It opened in the West End in 1978 and was so successful that a year later when it opened on Broadway, it was nearly sold out before it began. Patti Lupone who just won her second Tony Award for Best Lead Actress in a Musical, won her first for her role as Eva Peron in 1980. In her acceptance speech, she described her role as Mama Rose in Gypsy as "the performance of her life", but her role as Eva Peron was a career defining role and "Don't Cry for Me Argentina" from Evita became her signature song. In 1996 a film version starring Madonna and Antonio Banderas was nominated for five Academy Awards winning only one for Best Original Song "You Must Love Me" which was composed especially for the movie.

..........and the winner is

2008-06-16T16:59:00.001-07:00

The Tony Award Ceremony was spectacular. It always is, but this year they really outdid themselves. My dear friend, Whoopi Goldberg, was a wonderful host and a good sport. As for the awards themselves, there really were no big surprises. The musical with the most nominations won for best musical, the play with the most nominations won for best play, the musical revival with the most nominations won for best musical revival, and the revival of a play with the most nominations won for best revival of a play. Patti Lupone won for Best Actress in a Musical, duh. In the Heights nominated for 13 Tonys won 4 including Best Musical. August: Osage County won 5 of the 7 categories it was nominated for including Best Play. South Pacific took 7 of 11 nominations including Best Revival of a Musical. And the British production of Boeing, Boeing won 2 of the 6 categories it was nominated for including Best Revival of a Play.

These winning plays win more than just the Tonys. They win larger audiences. Larger audiences mean longer runs. Longer runs mean bigger ticket sales. It's a win win situation. The after-parties were barely over before winners started reporting boosts in ticket sales. With all the wonderful choices on Broadway, this year has been a particularly weak year for ticket sales. I read that 18 of the 37 shows currently on Broadway play to houses that sell 70% or fewer seats for each performance. So sad when you think about all the blood, sweat and tears it takes to get a show on the Great White Way. The Tony Awards really help because they whet the appetite of audiences. For me, after seeing numbers from all 11 musicals, I want to see them all. I've said it before and I'll say it again, "so many shows, so little time and money".

The Tonys Are Coming, The Tonys Are Coming

2008-06-11T06:48:00.000-07:00

Did I mention the Tonys are coming? Are you as excited as I am? The Tonys is the most spectacular award show of them all. It outshines the Oscars, Emmys (American's television awards) and Grammys in my opinion. The reason being, it showcases the musicals up for best musical with well chosen bits from each of the nominees. But this year there is more. This year the 62nd annual Tony Awards will showcase 13 shows. All of the 11 eligible musicals will perform this coming Sunday night in the gala hosted by my "good friend" Whoopi Goldberg. The extravaganza will be aired live from New York's famous Radio City Music Hall on CBS-TV here in America with a live red carpet preshow which will be webcast at TonyAwards.com at 11:30 p.m. (UK time).

Cry-Baby, In the Heights, Passing Strange, and Xanadu are competing for the Best Musical award; and Gypsy, Grease, South Pacific, and Sunday in the Park With George are all nominated for Best Revival of a Musical. We'll see musical numbers from all of these but the 3 other eligible musicals, A Catered Affair, Young Frankenstein and Little Mermaid, which were not nominated will also present performances. I'm so pleased about this because I saw A Catered Affair and Young Frankenstein and really enjoyed them both, especially Young Frankenstein. And as if this wasn't enough, we'll also be treated to performances by the long-running musical Rent which is scheduled to close in September after 12 years on Broadway and Lion King which celebrated 10 years on Broadway this past November.

Listen up this Sunday, June 15, to "The Matinee" for more information from me, "the fabulous Suko" (a legend in her own mind) about the 62nd annual Tony Award show.

Megan Mullaley Disses Suko

2008-06-05T10:52:00.000-07:00

That cheeky Megan Mullaley decided not to show up the other night when I went to see Young Frankenstein. Do you think someone gave her a heads up telling her I was coming to see the show? Oh Ja-ames. Don't you know it's for the good of the show. Oh well, not to worry because the show didn't need her anyhow. It had enough wonderment to go it without her. And, in fact, her understudy for the part of Herr Frankenstein's fiance Elizabeth, Heather Ayers, looked and sounded so much like her that I just pretended it was her. The rest of the original cast was there, Roger Bart as Frederich Frankenstein, er that's Frunkensteen, Sutton Foster as Inga, Shuler Hensley as the monster, Andrea Martin as Frau Blucher (nei-ei-eigh), and Christopher Fitzgerald as Igor, er that's Eyegor. We, my husband, daughter and myself, were thoroughly entertained. There were some great special effects, and hilarious lines taken directly from the movie. And the music is very good, maybe not great, but really good, with several memorable songs, "Life, Life", "Transylvania Mania", "Together Again", "Listen to Your Heart", "Surprise", "Deep Love" and Irving Berlin's "Puttin' on the Ritz" done only as a monster could do it. Andrea Martin and Christopher Fitzgerald are nominated for Tony's for featured actors in a musical. They were both outstanding, but the whole cast was great, even the fake Megan Mullaley. Why it didn't get more Tony nominations, I don't know. I think the critics underrated it. One could only wonder if the original price of seats on the weekends ($450 for the best 100 seats, $375 for the next 120) left the critics expecting even more than they got. But the audience loved it. Madame Aries would have been roaring with laughter. My daughter put it up there with Wicked, Lion King and Hairspray. Just be warned if you ever have a chance to see it, the language is quite explicit and the sexual innuendos run rampant, both of which made me cringe sitting next to my 12 year old daughter but she had begged us to take her to see it and to be honest, I'm glad we did. So if this big green monster ever crosses the pond, it's definitely one to see.

I'm B-a-a-a-a-ack! But a Monster is Lurking in My Future

2008-05-27T15:46:00.000-07:00

I'm back from my long weekend way off-off-off-off-Broadway in Pennsylvania where we celebrated my daughter and her Chinese cousins' tenth "gotcha day". A fun time was had by all and it was so wonderful to see how those beautiful Chinese babies blossomed into even more beautiful all-American girls. Meanwhile, I'm getting antsy since I haven't seen any musical theatre in weeks, but next Tuesday we have tickets for Young Frankenstein and I'm so psyched. It stars two of Broadway's most popular actors, Sutton Foster and Roger Bart. It also stars Megan Mullaley, who you might know as Karen from Will and Grace, and Andrea Martin from SCTV and many other television and movie appearances including "Hedwig and the Angry Inch". I once met her at the Bronx Zoo. She was there by herself, a fellow animal lover, and we exchanged some small talk and went our separate ways, but I was impressed with her earthiness. By the way, she is nominated for Best Featured Actress in a Musical in her role as Frau Blucher, as is Christopher Fitzgerald who plays Igor for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

Although Young Frankenstein was overlooked for a Tony for Best Musical, everyone I know who has seen it loved it. I think many people were turned off by the original ticket prices of $450 for the best 100 seats and $375 for the next 120 seats. I paid $65.00 (about 35 pounds) for our tickets which is a real bargain for Broadway. So next week my family and I will be "puttin' on the ritz" and heading back to Broadway where we long to be. Well, at least I do.

Marti Pellow

2008-05-20T07:19:00.000-07:00

Launching the UK tour of the hit musical Witches of Eastwick over the weekend at swish eatery Nagressco, were Michael Harrison, Kenneth Wax & Paul Elliott in arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh, Starring Marti Pellow. The actual show runs from 13 to 18 October with matinees on Friday and Saturday at the Palace Theatre. For those who know nothing of the plot three recently single middle American women from the bible belt conjer up there ideal man. He appears in the form of Darryl van Horne then the fun begins. From being needy to being in power, its a journey of discovery for all three women. With a great score by John Dempsey & Dana P Rowe the Macintosh hit machine & Mr Pellow, Manchester can look forward to another sure fire hit.
Marti was in excellent form throughout the presentation, always smiling and joking, even through the two hours plus round of interviews. His enthusiasm for the roll is obvious listen to the interview James and I did with him over the next couple of weeks.
The full tour runs into from October 2008 into 2009 so plenty of opportunity to see this show.

Eurobeat

2008-05-20T04:01:00.000-07:00

A musical based on the Eurovision? How would that work? Sounds unlikely but it does.
It's all there the costumes, the dance routines, the corny songs,the presenters being over the top.Audience participation,its all there.
I would warn you this is NOT, I repeat, NOT a show for the prudish, the innuendos fly thick and fast, its all good fun though, and I defy you not to come away humming at least one of the tunes on display. If you get the chance grab a ticket or two and get to the Lyric Theatre @ the Lowry. Shows on till Saturday including a matinee show on the final day.
Don't forget if you are a Eurovision Fan The Semi Finals Start tonight at 8pm. With another on Thursday and final on Saturday night.

Broadway's 2008 Tony Nominees

2008-05-19T05:51:00.000-07:00

This year the 62nd annual American Theatre Wing's Antoinette Perry (Tony) Awards will take place on June 15th in New York's Radio City Music Hall hosted by my good friend (in my own mind) Whoopi Goldberg. Since The American Theatre Wing has not extended me a ticket, I must observe from afar, although not as far as most of you. Alas, I am a loyal Broadway afficionado and am happy to be in this position, wherever it may be. The following musicals and plays have received nominations and I will put them in order of the number of nominations received:

In the Heights 13
South Pacific 11
Sunday in the Park with George 9
August: Osage County 7
Gypsy 7
Passing Strange 7
Boeing Boeing 6
MacBeth 6
The 39 Steps 6
Les Liaisons Dangereuses 5
Cry Baby 4
Rock and Roll 4
The Seafarer 4
Xanadu 4
A Catered Affair 3
The Homecoming 3
Young Frankenstein 2
The Little Mermaid 2
Come Back Little Sheba 1
Cyrano de Bergerac 1
Grease 1
Is He Dead? 1
Mauritius 1
November 1
Thurgood 1
Top Girls 1

I've seen Cry Baby, A Catered Affair and Grease, and have tickets for Young Frankenstein. I really know how to pick 'em. But I like what I like and rarely go by critic's reviews. I think critics look at different things, maybe more technical things, than the general public. I prefer to go by recommendations from friends and gut feelings and my instincts for me are usually good.

For a complete listing of the nominees and everything else you ever wanted to know about the Tony Awards, go to TonyAwards.com where on Tony night you can watch Broadway and Hollywood celebrities walk the red carpet. Their arrivals will be webcast live from the sidewalk of West 50th Street beginning at 6:30 p.m. ET (11:30 p.m. UK time).

......And Why is it Called "The Country Girl"?

2008-05-10T15:18:00.000-07:00

I went with my husband last week to see The Country Girl starring Morgan Freeman ("Driving Miss Daisy", "The Shawshank Redemption", "The Power of One", Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor for "Million Dollar Baby"), Frances McDormand (Academy Award for Best Actress for "Fargo") and Peter Gallagher ("While You Were Sleeping", "American Beauty", "Titanic") and directed by Mike Nichols ("The Birdcage", "Charlie Wilson's War" and Academy Award for Best Director of "The Graduate", Tony Award for Spamalot, as well as Barefoot in the Park and The Odd Couple). With this superb cast and director, how could it miss? The critics didn't like it. Felt it lacked passion. Come on guys. Morgan Freeman? He could just stand there and I'd be entertained. So what if he missed a few lines. Who cares that he called the character Larry by the actor's real name, Lucas, and in the last scene forgot to zip up. He was playing an alcoholic after all. (I'm sorry Mr. Freeman if I have embarrassed you. It is not my intent). He has such a presence. He's very tall and in wonderful shape for a man of 70. He changes clothes several times in the play so we see him in his undershirt and boxers and wow, ugly he ain't. And McDormand and Gallagher are no slouches either.

My husband and I both liked the play which is a drama about a has-been actor, Frank Elgin, who lost his dream and his sense of self many years earlier to alcohol after a personal tragedy and has been given the chance by director Bernie Dodd, played amusingly by the stunning Peter Gallagher, to star in a new play much to the resistance of the producer and playwright who feel he is too big a risk. Frank's wife, Georgie, played subduedly by Frances McDormand refers to herself in an amusing, self-effacing way as the country girl. There is a psychological mystery in play here when we hear Frank and Georgie's opposing perceptions of what their life together has been. And Dodd perceives Georgie as an obstacle, albeit an enticing one. In this role Freeman plays a lost and uncertain man which is against type for him because he rarely, if ever, embodies uncertainty. He usually plays very stoic, all-knowing characters, even playing God in "Bruce Almighty" and again in "Evan Almighty". The critics are right in that it is not a passionate play, and if anything Freeman does underplay it, but the touching scenes between Frank and Georgie show us that although she has thought of leaving him because Frank's self-doubt has cost them both so much, there seems to be a loving bond and a need to stay with him to protect him from himself. The question is who needs who more, Frank or his country girl?

A Catered Affair - An Affair to Remember

2008-05-04T14:20:00.000-07:00

I took my 12 year old daughter to see Harvey Fierstein's latest musical A Catered Affair which opened on Broadway on April 17th. I had asked her which show she would like to see and she chose A Catered Affair because she loves Harvey Fierstein. I really wanted to see it and I was surprised that she chose it over Legally Blonde and Xanadu. Lucky for me, I loved it. It was so poignant and addressed the many family issues that surface when a family plans a wedding. First of all, financial. Should the family spend their life savings on an affair that will be over in four hours or invest it in a new business which will keep on making money for the family? And the guest list. Immediate family only? What comprises immediate family? What we get from this is that you can't make everyone happy.

It's the Bronx, 1953. The daughter, used to taking a backseat to her brother who has recently been killed in Korea, has planned a small town hall wedding with immediate family. The mother wants her daughter to have a big lavish wedding, something she did not have because she was a bride "without a waistline", and she feels it is something to remember and hold onto once you've become an oppressed wife as she has. The father wants to use their savings to buy a share in a taxi medallion to insure their future.

It's not an extravaganza like Hairspray or Wicked. The music is not that memorable, although there were three songs that I really liked because of their message, "Don't Ever Stop Saying I Love You", "I Stayed" and "Immediate Family". The sets are minimal but effective, just a gray building which comes alive with scenes cleverly projected on it in sepia tones, and movable kitchen, living room and bedroom sets. What I loved about it was that it dealt with a real family with real problems that almost anyone could relate to. And the acting was superb with Faith Prince as the mother, Aggie, Tom Wopat as the dad, Tom, and Harvey as the "confirmed bachelor" Uncle Winston living with them on their couch until he realizes he is not considered immediate family and leaves to "keep house" with his long time companion, Keith.

Unfortunately, my daughter was bored and restless through the whole 90 minute play, and in fact I think annoyed the young man she was sitting behind who kept looking back at her. I kept whispering to her to sit still but I knew early on that this was not a show for kids. The highlight for Jade took place before the show when we ran into Harvey Fierstein on the street. He was deep in conversation and totally ignored us. What a cheek! Haar-vee, it's me, Suko, from The Matinee. It's a liberty!

Austin Powers Goes Bollywood

2008-04-10T06:38:00.000-07:00

I had to share this ridiculously hilarious movie trailer with you. If you loved Austin Powers, and who didn't, and if you swoon over Justin Timberlake, and who doesn't (you know you do), and if you love Schnauzers, you'll love this. It's Mike Myers searching for enlightenment as "The Love Guru" as only Mike Myers can. And Mini-Me is back too. Opening in the US in June. So check this out. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPz5e9TvYIs

Gala Night Of Stars

2008-04-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Wow what a night, was I star struck? you betcha sweet patooty i was, my head fair span, I thought at one stage I was in a remake of Carrie it span so much, All those Stars and all such realy nice people, We had the man of the moment Richard Fleeshman in fine voice, Meg Johnson (What do ya mean who) Pearl Letherbanks to you Philistines.Repreassing her role as Matron Mama Morton from Chicago joined as Roxy for the night by Corries own knicker nicker Tupele Dorgu (Kelly Crabtree) realy peeps do you know nowt!!!!!! now Tupele has a fine future ever she should forsak the cobbles and head west, WESTEND that is, Caberet and the German cafes of the 30's could be a goal . We were treated to Evita, Les Miserables,Little Shop Of Horrors. Aformentioned Chicago & Caberet, Fidler on the Roof, with David Fleeshman replacing Topol very well indeed. The Brat pack,the end of act one had a cast of over 80 do the rocky horror hits including the timewarp, there was one creaky joint, an aged Drag queen in a minnie PVC nurses uniform tottered on and almost had to crawl off, Oh the shame of it, I almost Came Of me Heals.

JOKING JOKING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

A great night was had by all, as the smiling faces in the Circle Bar Can atest to.

CONGRATULATIONS TO SUE JENKINS FOR A WONDERFUL PRODUCTION

AND HEARTFELT THANKS TO HER FOR ALLOWING MYSELF AND Mr JAMES DEAN TO BE A SMALL PART OF IT, a night never to be forgotten,and one I will treasure as long as I shall live.

The Champion 2007-2008 Broadway Season

2008-04-03T06:37:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe but there's only six weeks left to the 2007-2008 Broadway season. It's been a banner year for Broadway but it's not over yet. There are ten more shows officially opening before the Tony Awards which will take place on June 15 at Radio City Music Hall.

To top off an already great Broadway season, the ten shows opening are:

Gypsy, starring Patti Lupone opened March 28th to raves not only for Patti and the show itself but for Laura Benanti as Gypsy Rose Lee and Boyd Gaines as their manager, Herbie.
South Pacific, one of the many brilliant Rodgers and Hammerstein collaborations, opens today, April 3rd. This is the first Broadway revival of this wonderful musical since it's original staging from April 1949 to January 1954.
MacBeth starring Star Trek's Captain Picard, the very sexy Patrick Stewart, which moved to Broadway from the Brooklyn Academy of Music opens officially April 8th. This modernized British production was hailed by West End critics where it ran for a limited engagement before heading to America. The critics agreed that this is Patrick Stewart's finest performance.
Les Liaisons Dangereuses opens for a limited engagement April 12th to June 6th at the Roundabout Theatre Company's American Airlines Theatre on Broadway. Starring two time Academy Award winner (You Can Count on Me and Kinsey), Laura Linney. This is a story of revenge while depicting the decadence of the French aristocracy shortly before the French Revolution.
A Catered Affair, Harvey Fierstein's latest contribution to Broadway musicals opens April 17th. It's about a Brooklyn family who faces the dilemma of spending their life savings on a family business or their daughter's wedding. Fierstein not only wrote it but stars in it as the bride's Uncle Winston.
Cry Baby, the next John Waters movie to musical stage production officially opens April 24th. I saw it in previews and found it a lot of fun. Although not of the caliber of his first movie to musical adaptation, Hairspray, it had enough going for it that if it were tweaked a little before the official opening, could make it a force to be reckoned with at the Tony Awards.
A Country Girl, starring, get this, Morgan Freeman, Frances McDormand and the gorgeous Peter Gallagher opens April 27th. With direction by Tony Award (Spamalot) and Academy Award (The Graduate) winning director, Mike Nichols, it would take a really bad day by all concerned to miss the mark.
Thurgood, opens April 30th, a one-man play starring Hollywood star and Tony Award winner, Laurence Fishburne, gives us some insight into the intellect and wit of Thurgood Marshall who rose from adversity to become the first African-American to serve on the United States Supreme Court.
Boeing-Boeing, the West End smash comedy of errors arrives on Broadway straight off the plane from London. It's a revival of the 1960 Broadway show and will star Christine Baranski (appearing in the movie Mamma Mia with Meryl Streep opening this summer). In previews starting April 19th with the official opening on May 4th.
Top Girls opens May 7, (in previews beginning April 15th) starring, among others, Martha Plimpton and Academy Award winner (My Cousin Vinny) Marisa Tomei. This play looks at the challenges facing working women in 1980's London.

So it ain't over till it's over and it ain't over yet. When I look at what's opening and what's playing on Broadway, and off for that matter, I'm like a kid in a candy shop. My funds are limited but I do have tickets for A Country Girl and A Catered Affair. I just had to see my favorite actor, Morgan Freeman, live on stage, and I adore Harvey Fierstein so it was kind of a no-brainer but as I said on air last week, so many shows, so little time and money.

Cry Baby Ain't Nothin to Cry About

2008-03-29T14:06:00.000-07:00

I took my 12 year old daughter to see the new John Water's stage adaptation of his 1990 movie Cry Baby. Did I love it? Let's say I liked it a lot. I know it's unfair to compare it to his earlier adaptation of Hairspray but it's hard not to. To be really fair, for one thing, it is still in previews, and two, we already knew the entire score of Hairspray before we saw it. It's very funny though and very entertaining, sexy rather than romantic. It's the Drapes against the Squares. West Side Story-ish. The play opens at the Anti-Polio Picnic where prominent community leader and socially conscious Mrs. Vernon-Williams is hosting the picnic where they are offering polio shots. Enter the Drapes, the "bad" kids from the other side of the tracks, with their leader, Cry Baby, a nickname given to him because he has been unable to cry since his parents were unjustly executed as communist traitors. (This is so John Waters.) It's love at first sight when Cry Baby lays eyes on Mrs. Vernon-Williams' granddaughter, Allison, who instantly feels the same way about him. She calls herself a good girl who doesn't want to be. There are some hilarious lines with references to the 50's which were probably lost on the younger audience; polio, iron lungs, fallout shelters. At the picnic they wheel out a guy in an iron lung who sings blithefully "if only I'd had that shot" and then they shove him and his iron lung off stage. Baltimore, a Square, country club member and "good" boy, sings a song about being squeaky clean and talks about the club's fallout shelter and that, like the pool, you have to be a member of the country club to use it. There's a dance at the country club where Mrs. Vernon-Williams hands out gas masks and the Squares proceed to dance in their party dresses and suits wearing the gas masks. There's also a dance number where Cry Baby and the Drapes are in jail for allegedly setting a fire, and they're making license plates which they use as tap shoes. It was brilliant. And I have to mention a song Cry Baby sings to Allison "Girl, Can I Kiss You With Tongue?" to which my daughter said out loud, "oh, that's disturbing" to howls from the audience around us.

This is James Snyder's Broadway debut as Cry Baby. I thought he was good in an Elvis impersonator sort of way but I can't say he knocked my socks off. I'd say he is destined for stardom though because of his pretty boy looks. Elizabeth Stanley as Allison didn't do much for me. I mean she was professional and all but she looked too old for the part and didn't have that extra something that draws you into the character. The supporting cast was outstanding though, especially Chester Gregory II as Dupree (previously in Hairspray as Seaweed), Cry Baby's best friend who is a Little Richard parody, Alli Mauzey as Lenora, the girl who is missing a few cards from her deck who is madly in love with Cry Baby and stalks him throughout the play. Her solo "A Screw Loose" was hysterical with the last line being "I'll be here if you need a loose screw". But for me the best of all was Harriet Harris as Mrs. Vernon-Williams who played the 50's grande dame superbly. If you've ever seen the American tv show Frasier she played Fraiser's (Kelsey Grammer) agent, Bebe Glazer. She's hilarious in anything I've ever seen her in.

By the way, all preview tickets are $54 (27 pounds). They came up with this price because the play takes place in 1954 Baltimore, John Water's hometown.

I think I probably would have loved Cry Baby a lot more if I'd seen it before I saw Hairspray. I was expecting it to be as good and although it was delightful, it wasn't in a class with Hairspray but it was certainly worth seeing, especially at the discount price.

Fiddler on the Palace Roof

2008-03-21T14:04:00.000-07:00

Yes the old classic Fiddler on the Roof came to Manchesters Palace Theatre. I do love going to this theatre as the staff are fabulous and very welcoming. The stage is a decent size and its always a good show. Fiddler was no exception. Joe McGann was superb in the role once occupied by Topol playing Tevye. Carrie Ellis (baby Jane in Jerry Springer the Opera) played Golde exactly as I expected the role to be played. Now I must make a confession here. I have never seen Fiddler on the TV..I KNOW...its on all the time, I must have...Well no. In a way I am glad that I have only seen it on stage. The effects in the show are stunning and after seeing what A big film could do compared to the stage show, I think it would have ruined it for me. This show is touring so please please if you get chance go and see it. Just forget about the Film and go with an open mind and you will love it. Not bad for a musical without a happy ending.

Patti LuPone Micromanages as Mama Rose in Broadway's Gypsy Revival

2008-03-20T09:48:00.000-07:00

After an amazing limited engagement at City Center this past summer, the Broadway revival of Gypsy officially opens on March 27th starring the glorious Patti Lupone. Gypsy, the musical directed by 89 year old Arthur Laurents, started its preview on March 3rd at the St. James Theatre. LuPone plays Mama Rose, the stage mother to end all stage mothers, with Boyd Gaines as Herbie, their manager, and Laura Benanti in the role of Louise who tranforms into Gypsy Rose Lee, the title character.

Gypsy is a musical legend written by three renowned Tony winning theatrical geniuses including script by Arthur Laurents himself, music by Jule Styne and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim. The play features classic songs like "Some People", "Everything's Coming Up Roses", "Let Me Entertain You" and "Small World".

"Set during the vaudeville era, Gypsy is about a relentless stage mother, Rose, traveling the country with her two daughters, June and Louise, and their manager, Herbie. While June and Louise wish their mother would settle down and marry Herbie, Rose continues to pursue dreams of stardom for her girls. When June deserts the act, Rose turns her attention to the shy Louise, whom she hopes to fashion into a star. When the act is booked into a burlesque house by mistake, Louise is forced into the spotlight and Gypsy Rose Lee is born." — Theatre Source

I read in the New York Post that LuPone didn't miss a beat during Wednesday night's preview of Gypsy when the curtain rising for the second act knocked a bulb from the giant "Rose" sign high in the rafters, littering the St. James stage with glass. Staying in character as unflappable Mama Rose, LuPone grabbed an offstage broom and swept up the mess. Most in the audience never knew any mishap had occurred. Now that's what I call a trouper.

Rehearsals

2008-03-16T12:58:00.000-07:00

Yes today was a busy day for us Rehersals in the morning at the Palace hotel then to the studio for the show and back to the hotel for the finale Cast members from Corrie Waterloo Road And Emmerdale All Making A big inprression, Songs from Chicago Wizard of oz Grease Les Mizz and Caberet to name only a handful. Come and join us on the 29th at 7.30 its gonna be a fabulous nite. Yes Richard Fleeshman will be there hot from a sucsessful tour and before he heads off supporting Sir Elton John on the UK leg of his World Tour.
Its going to be a great night and a fitting tribute to a wonderful theatre before it closes for re - structuring and hopefuly a re - ferbishment.

Single Spies

2008-03-16T12:41:00.000-07:00

Nigel Havers lead a fine cast through two Allan Bennett one act plays to a triumphant last Tuesday. Firstly with Diana Quick As Corale Browne to Mr Havers as Guy Burgess, Set in Moscow 1958 Miss Brown Accepts an invitation to lunch with the double agent, his reasons no more sinister than to catch up on society gossip and to order a new suit. Moving on ten years to 1968 we see ourselves in Buckingham Palace where Anthony Blunt is renovating the Queens Paintings A Titian the folowing conversation between Queen and subject is exteaordinary to say the least. Played Superbly by Nigel & Diana on both accounts with fine support from Jack Ryder As Burgess lover in the first act and as a foofman in the second. Well worth searching out if you see it Elsewhere.

Harvey Fierstein, The Gravel-Throated Brooklyn Boy

2008-03-13T07:18:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't yet know the brilliant Harvey Fierstein, allow me to introduce him to you. Known for his gravelly voice, actor, playwright, author, social activist and one time drag queen Harvey Fierstein is a bright light on the Great White Way known as Broadway. Having declared some time ago that his drag days were over, he reconsidered when offered the chance to originate the role of Edna Turnblad in Hairspray on Broadway for which he won the 2003 Tony Award for Best Leading Actor in a Musical. This was his fourth Tony Award to date. The first two were for Torch Song Trilogy which he wrote and starred in. The 1982 Broadway production won him Tony Awards for both Best Play and Best Actor in a Play. In 1983 he won a Tony for Best Book of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles. (He and Tommy Tune are the only people to have won Tony Awards in four different categories.) He also starred in the movie version of Torch Song Trilogy as well as appearances in Woody Allen's Bullets Over Broadway, Robin Williams' brother in Mrs. Doubtfire and Independence Day to name a few, and countless television appearances including the voice of Karl, Homer's assistant in the "Simpson and Delilah" episode of The Simpsons. You can also hear his trademark voice in the movie and on the soundtrack of Mulan as Yao singing "A Girl Worth Fighting For".

His latest Broadway musical, A Catered Affair, for which he wrote the book, opens in previews on March 25th with Fierstein playing the part of Uncle Winston. It's the story of a family strained to the limits with the dilemma of deciding whether to spend their life savings on a family business or give their daughter the lavish wedding they never had.

Fierstein is one of my favorite talk show guests and in my opinion steals the scene in everything I've seen him in. He's the ultimate "Jewish mother" who always knows what's best for you. (He once convinced my jazz idol, trumpet player Chris Botti who professes to be heterosexual, to kiss him on a talk show.) I regret having missed seeing him in Hairspray (although George Wendt's performance as Edna was stellar) and as Tevye in the 2005 revival of Fiddler on the Roof, so I will make an earnest effort to see him in A Catered Affair. Ah, so many great musicals on Broadway, so little time and money (sigh).

A Taste of New York Comes to Tameside via 42nd Street

2008-03-06T11:04:00.000-08:00

A little piece of my New York is coming to Tameside. 42nd Street, the 1980 Tony Award winner for Best Musical as well as 1984 Olivier Award winner for Best Musical, will be playing at the Tameside Hippodrome from Tuesday, March 11th through Saturday, March 15th.

42nd Street, for those of you who have not been to New York, is a major crosstown street in New York City, known for its theatres, especially where it intersects with Broadway at Times Square.

The Broadway musical adapted from the 1933 movie of the same name is the story of a naive young actress named Peggy Sawyer who arrives in New York to audition for the new Julian Marsh extravaganza set to open, ironically, on Broadway, starring aging leading lady Dorothy Brock. Leading lady injures foot, just-off-the-bus chorus girl takes over role after pep talk from director Marsh telling her "You're going out there a youngster, but you've got to come back a star!" And of course she does. Set in the Depression and about the Depression, it's the classic, fast-paced backstage musical chockablock with wonderful tunes, "Lullaby of Broadway", "Shuffle Off to Buffalo", "We're in the Money", and "42nd Street" to name just a few. It's been a long time since I've seen either the movie or the Broadway production but I remember thinking that the stage adaptation was a little more light-hearted than the movie which went more into depth about the unglamorized tough realities of backstage life and the hardships of the Depression. Both are wonderful in their own way. What I loved is that Gower Champion, who choreographed the original Broadway production, filled the stage with spectacular dance routines a la Busby Berkeley. 42nd Street (the movie) had been choreographer Berkeley's first major movie work. He later went on to choreograph three other films dealing with staging musicals during the Depression, Footlight Parade, Gold Diggers of 1933 and Gold Diggers of 1934, becoming famous for his innovative kaleidoscope of dancing girls forming abstract designs and his use of overhead camera shots, all of which went far beyond conventional boundaries of the time. Of course, this could not be literally recreated on stage, however, if I remember correctly, Champion was able to recreate the essence of the overhead camera shots with the use of mirrors. A sad caveat is that the show ran for 9 years (1980 to 1989), almost 3,500 performances, and Champion never lived to see any of it. During the show's tryouts in Washington, DC and after numerous curtain calls on opening night, producer David Merrick came out and stunned the cast and audience announcing that Champion had died earlier in the day of a rare blood cancer.

New York's Sony Centre - A Bang for Your Buck

2008-02-28T05:53:00.000-08:00

Not far from the Broadway theatre area on 56th Street and Madison Avenue is the Sony Technology Lab which is a fantastic (there I go again) technology and entertainment museum for all ages.

Currently the 3rd and 4th floors are closed due to renovation, but its the second floor that I find the most fun and exciting. Its here you'll find music exhibits, as well as film and video game exhibits and the High Definition Theatre which screens short top quality high definition, high resolution video. Also on the second floor is a variety of activities that explore the world of games, music and digital entertainment, all interactive. Here you can play over-sized Play Station 2 games equipped with large screen projectors. You can build your own computer racing game. You can explore the process of making music and perform in front of a virtual audience. You can learn the key concepts of motion picture production and digital editing. You can even create your own movie trailer. And there's much, much more.

A recent workshop called Mice Dissection explored the guts of computer mice which visitors, with the help of museum staff, were able to take apart to find out how they work from the inside out. The February HD feature is called The Dolphin Story. It takes a close look at dolphins in their natural environment using hd camers attached to a ship's hull. In March the featured HD video will be Colors of HD. Visitors experience the artistic beauty and rich color of HD in two specially produced shorts. Balls features 250,000 multicolored "superballs" bouncing down the streets of San Francisco, and Paint features 70,000 litres of paint, 33 sextuple air cluster bombs, 268 mortars and much more in complete live action.

This is certainly worth your time and it won't cost you one thin dime. Yes, you can spend several hours here for free. So do try to fit it in on your next visit to New York City.

Wedding Singer A Hit

2008-02-27T19:54:00.001-08:00

Jonathan Wilkes and Natalie Casey headed a stellar cast at The Palace Theatre to a triumphant production of The Musical version of The Hit Movie The Wedding Singer.Excellent performances from the entire cast meant that we were treated to the best new musical of 2008. Well I think so anyway. If you wish to have a fun night at the theatre then go see this show. there are laughs a plenty and the occasional lump in the throat.Not to mention the occasional moistening of the eyes. Yes its all there including an original score by Matthew Skylar with some very good little pop songs that could stand alone in the charts. I for one would go back to see this show again and again and again. Watch out West End the Wedding Singer Is heading your way,and I recon not just to visit.

Suko's Trivia Quiz - Week Two

2008-02-21T07:23:00.001-08:00

Since no one got the correct answer to last week's trivia quiz, I thought I'd make this one a little easier.

Question for week of February 18 - 24:

You've heard Angela Lansbury and Bea Arthur sing "Bosom Buddies" on The Matinee. What Broadway musical was that song from?

Last week's answer: The other four Stephen Sondheim musicals that had been made into movies before Sweeney Todd are A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum and A Little Night Music for which he wrote both music and lyrics, and West Side Story and Gypsy for which he wrote lyrics only.

In the Heights Previewing on Broadway Gets Five Stars from Audiences

2008-02-20T07:30:00.000-08:00

In the Heights, the latest musical to make the transition from off-Broadway to Broadway is a big hit according to preview audiences. It's a panoramic view of three days in the life of Washington Heights, a vibrant and tight-knit Latino community in upper Manhattan. Twenty-seven year old Lin-Manuel Miranda came up with the original concept while in college. He was sick of seeing Latino performers always being cast as West Side Story-type thugs so he wrote his own show, a Latin and hip-hop filled love story to his neighborhood, his heritage and his musical idols. After four years of development, with the help of director Thomas Kail who reworked it and restaged it for a larger audience, it opened off-Broadway to critical acclaim. One year later it has found its home on Broadway at the Richard Rodgers Theatre. Miranda who wrote the music and lyrics for the show, also stars in it as the Dominican narrator who owns a bodega (small grocery store) on the block. It's set in a block or two of his Latino neighborhood and the score was lovingly modeled after his lifelong idols, Stephen Sondheim, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers. (When he was a teen, he convinced Stephen Sondheim to attend his high school production of West Side Story.) The music pulses with the hopes and dreams of three generations as they struggle to forge an identity in a neighborhood on the brink of transition. Miranda won the 2007 Obie Award (for off-Broadway shows) for Outstanding Music and Lyrics. The producers, who also brought Rent and Avenue Q to Broadway from off-Broadway (both won the Tony for Best Musical), say they listen for new sounds that will attract fresh audiences and this one has attracted both traditional audiences and non-traditional including a younger and Latino crowd making it a good commercial move for them. Also in it is Broadway veteran Priscilla Lopez who was in the original cast of A Chorus Line for which she won an Obie while it was off-Broadway and was nominated for Tony's for Pippin and Applause and won a Tony in 1980 for Best Featured Actress in a Musical for A Day in Hollywood/A Night in the Ukraine.

It was announced last week that they will have a $26.50 (13 pounds 25) per ticket lottery two hours prior to each performance for the front row seats. (There is a limit of two tickets per person, tickets must be paid for in cash and you must be present for the drawing. Fair enough.) This is a wonderful idea and gives the demographic population who historically have not been able to enjoy theatre due to financial barriers a chance to see a Broadway show.

(There is a wonderful television commercial showing here in New York which you can view at http://www.broadwayworld.com/videoplay.cfm?colid=23493. (Miranda is the fellow in the red shirt. I think he will be a Broadway force to be reckoned with.)

Suko's Trivia Quiz - Week One

2008-02-13T05:33:00.000-08:00

When I went to see Hairspray on Broadway last month I picked up some extra playbills and I thought I'd do a little trivia quiz here on The Matinee's blog and send a Hairspray playbill to the first person to email me with the correct answer each week until I have none left. This is my own quiz, independent of The Matinee or Tameside Radio.

Question for week of February 10 - 17:

How many of the 17 major musicals Stephen Sondheim has been involved in, either writing both lyrics and music or lyrics only, have been made into films? Can you name them?

I know you're thinking it's not worth the effort for a lousy Broadway playbill. Well I just might throw in a little extra surprise as well. So if you're game, send your answer to suko@matineeshow.co.uk. The email with the correct answer and the earliest date and time will be the winner.

Sweeney Todd the Movie: A Close Shave from Johnny Depp

2008-02-06T12:30:00.001-08:00

I finally got a chance to see Sweeney Todd last week. If you go back to my blog of October 17 you'll read about my skepticism in Johnny Depp being cast as "the demon barber of Fleet Street" since he is not known as a singer. Of course the doubt I expressed was strictly rhetorical. I am a big fan of both Depp and Burton and really had no doubt in my mind that they could pull it off. And they did in a big way. I mean, really, what's a Tim Burton film without Johnny Depp? (If you're counting, they've done six together. The other five are Edward Scissorhands, The Corpse Bride, Sleepy Hollow, Ed Wood, and Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.) They are the 21st century's Hepburn and Tracy. They rarely miss, if ever. And who could have done justice to this macabre Stephen Sondheim musical better than Tim Burton? It's right up his alley since just about every movie he makes is dark. Even Charlie and the Chocolate Factory had a much gloomier aura than Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory of which it was a remake.

The movie, take away the blood and gore, is a delightful romp. It opens with the bloodiest, goriest credits I have ever seen which handily set the tone for the movie. The opening scene has barber Benjamin Barker (later to be known as Sweeney Todd) on a ship returning to London after spending 15 years in an Australian penal colony for a crime he did not commit. Is it me or has Depp, with the ashy makeup, kind of morphed into Christopher Walken? His voice which is powerful and well enunciated sounds very much like David Bowie. He played the dark, brooding Mr. T, as Mrs. Lovett refers to him, brilliantly. But would we expect anything less from Depp? On the other hand, Helena Bonham Carter who plays Mrs. Lovett, Todd's accomplice in crime who makes the worst meat pies in London, performed well as she usually does and looked the part, but in my opinion overdid the cockney accent making it difficult for me and my friend, Lana, to understand some of the dialogue. It was obvious she got the director's intention, after all she is married to him, but I would have enjoyed it more if I understood what she was saying. However, this may not be a problem for British audiences.

There was a lovely, light-hearted musical number, "By the Sea", where Mrs. Lovett is dreaming about her future together with Todd and the young boy she has taken in as a ward. You know, the husband, children, house with the white picket fence dream. But even though the number was light and colorful with great costumes and seaside scenery, it still had a dark undertone. There was also a touching number by Mrs. Lovett and her ward, Toby, promising each other that nothing's gonna harm them in the song "Not While I'm Around".

I loved the whole Dickensian feeling of the characters, the sets which were like stage sets rather than location shots (save for a few like the seaside scene), the costumes, the makeup, lighting and cinematography. They were all done to perfection.

I have to mention Sacha Baron Cohen as the smarmy Signor Pirelli, a barber with a traveling medicine show, who played the part with hilarious flamboyance. Alan Rickman was perfect as the evil Judge Turpin who was responsible for not only sending the barber to prison, but for treating Todd's wife and daughter horrifically. And Timothy Spall as Beadle, Judge Turpin's evil henchman, looking like he walked straight out of Dickens' "Pickwick Papers" was cloyingly abhorrent.

If you can stomach the blood, I highly recommend it. You can look away like I did, but I warn you, even the sounds of the throats being slashed and the blood gushing is terrifying. In my opinion, it's the best stage to screen adaptation I've ever seen, but if you're the least bit squeamish I suggest you skip it. Instead go see Juno or have a manicure, haircut or shave. Eek!!!!!

The Fate of the Tameside Hippodrome from a Yankee's Point of View

2008-01-30T13:14:00.000-08:00

Being a lover of the arts and feeling connected to Tameside by my little ten minute spot each week on Tameside Radio, I felt the need to put in my two pence about the impending closing of the Tameside Hippodrome. I always think it sad to destroy antiquity to make room for state-of-the-art, but I decided it only fair to do some research before I gave my opinion. I first looked up the history of the Hippodrome, then checked out the Council's website and their side of the story, and then went to the Save The Tameside Hippodrome website. I read the comments of some of the petitioners and it just made me angry and sad. Apparently, although the Council said it was closing the building to refurbish it, the petitioners are afraid of it being permanently closed and possibly demolished. To think a beautiful structure which admittedly might need some renovation could possibly be destroyed is hard to fathom. To me it is akin to closing Radio City Music Hall, New York's premiere art deco theatre. It would be devastating not only to New Yorkers but to tourists from all over the world to lose this magnificent landmark. Granted the Hippodrome is not of the scope of Radio City but to the Tameside community I'm sure it is just as important. What really upset me was that of the eight theatres built by the architectural firm of Drury and Gomersall, only three remain, the Tameside Hippodrome, the Odeon Guide Bridge and the Odeon Sale. The other five have been demolished. Tameside Hippodrome is the only one that still functions as a theatre. The Odeon Guide Bridge is now a Roman Catholic Church and the Odeon Sale is a gym. How sad. The Hippodrome, originally The Empire Theatre, was gutted in the 1930's and the interior renovated in that era's modern art deco architecture . The others were all built in the '30's in either art deco or moderne style architecture. With most of them already gone, demolishing the Hippodrome would be a travesty. I can tell you the first time I drove into New York City after 9/11 and looked at the skyline without the Twin Towers I was heartbroken, and it still looks like a piece of a puzzle is missing each time I look at the skyline.

The Council claims that the building needs to be surveyed for structural soundness and refurbished before a replacement for Live Nation which has been running it for the past 15 years can be found. Live Nation apparently are the leaders in live theatre in England and are no longer interested in running the Hippodrome. Since the Tameside Council owns the building, one can only wonder what their agenda really is. Could there be some big financial deal being made for the property? Does Tameside need another shopping mall, housing complex or bank? Or is it just too rundown or simply not cost-effective to run? Could the community keep it alive with building funds and some sweat equity? I say, keep fighting guys. I'm with you. In fact, although the petition said eligibility to sign was limited to residents of England, I was able to sign it. KEEP THE LANDMARK TAMESIDE HIPPODROME ALIVE!!!!!!

Life after the street

2008-01-24T17:01:00.000-08:00

If anyone doughted that John Savident would be able to carry the role of Henry Hobson then folly to them. A triumph without dought. With comic timing second to none, he has made the part his own.

The sets,costumes and music were fantastic, creating a definate atmosphere and feel for the late Victorian period.Brilliantly supported by a fine cast, we were treated to a first class evening. If you get the chance go and see this play you will not be disapointed.

"Sunday in the Park with George" Comes to the Roundabout Theatre/The Importance of Non-Profit Theatres

2008-01-23T14:15:00.000-08:00

With London's Menier Chocolate Factory's production of Stephen Sondheim's Sunday in the Park with George previewing this week at the non-profit Roundabout Theatre's Studio 54, I thought I'd write a little something about the importance of The Roundabout and other non-profit theatres. The Roundabout is the largest non-profit theatre in New York. Founded in 1965, it was developed "to support its artistic mission of fostering emerging talent in play writing, performance, and stagecraft". The Roundabout was founded to offer alternatives to Broadway fare and to revive the classics which might appeal to a large audience but not to a mass audience. These theatres are an important part of the cultural fabric of the city but have met with much criticism in the past few years because it is felt that their productions are vying with Broadway and blurring the edges of non-profit and commercial theatre.

The non-profits have tax-free status and critics feel that if they are non-profit they should not receive government aid. The truth of the matter is that less than 1% comes from government funding. They subsist on subscriptions and private funding and all the proceeds go back into the productions enabling them to present theatre pieces that probably would not have a chance on Broadway. The theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres. Broadway investors will only invest in theatre that will attract large audiences to large theatres for large profits making it close to impossible for a newcomer to get their show biz break. Because of the private funding and the loyal support of subscribers, they can take more chances and do more cutting edge type of productions allowing newcomers a chance to debut their work in small venues with low overhead allowing for cheap ticket prices, some as low as $20. Broadway and even off-Broadway ticket prices are a barrier to younger audiences thus the often heard expression "the graying of audiences".

Take the recent Roundabout Theatre's Underground initiative which presented a play by a 27 year old playwright in this 62 seat, state-of-the-art theatre. Speech & Debate has been critically acclaimed and has just been extended for a second time and will play to sold-out audiences until February 24th. And who knows after that? It could be extended again or might even move to a larger off-Broadway or even a Broadway theatre. This could not have happened if it weren't for the non-profit's ability to take a risk.

In the case of Sunday in the Park with George, Stephen Sondheim and James Lapine (librettist) wanted to do the Chocolate Factory's production of it at the Roundabout and approached Todd Haimes, the Artistic Director. They thought it would be better in a smaller "protected environment". Of course Roundabout was criticized for this and accused of going to London "to shop" for theatre to import. They were also criticized when their revival of Cabaret won the Tony Award in 1998 for Best Revival of a Musical stating that the Tony Awards should be a tool to promote commercial theatre and if Roundabout wants to vie for Tonys they should lose their tax-free status. Golly, and all this time I thought the Tony Awards were for excellence in theatre.

The wonderful thing about New York theatre is diversity. There's something for everyone's taste. New York needs the non-profits to showcase new artists, to make theatre affordable thus making it more accessible and then there's also educational functions. There's also something to be said for an intimate setting. Who knows, Stephen Karam who wrote Speech & Debate could be the next Neil Simon or Noel Coward.

A poster on a sign in my daughter's art classroom says, "All artists were first amateurs" - Ralph Waldo Emerson, American Essayist/Poet. Isn't it wonderful that there are organizations with vision, determination and courage to turn an amateur into a pro.

Shakespeare and beyond

2008-01-19T07:24:00.000-08:00

Well as I said in my last blog,The Lowry seems to be where it's all going on at the moment.Monday past The Dean and I saw The Reduced Shakespeare Company, now don't go "ugh Shakespeare". Even if you hated doing it at school,if you get the chance go see this highly entertaining show, well worth the effort.Fun and funny all the plays in 97 minutes,madcap and taken at breakneck speed. Well I enjoyed it. Now on Wednesday "The Mikado" took over the Quay's theatre.A modern slant on the traditional Gilbert & Sulivan Operretta,entertaining without taxing the little gray cells. Hampered only by the fact that Yum Yum had a very nasty throught infection. Next up at the Lowry John Savient in Hobsons Choice .Thats Next week from Wednesday,so if you fancy a bit of northern grit then we may well see you there.

Hairspray - A Must See

2008-01-14T08:23:00.000-08:00

Lucky me. For my birthday, my husband took my daughter and me to see Hairspray. If he had asked me what I wanted to see I would have said Young Frankenstein. But am I glad he did the choosing. My daughter has wanted to see Hairspray for a long time. She has the original Broadway cast album and the movie on DVD. She knows every song and was even more excited to be seeing it than I. I have to admit, this is the best musical of it's kind that I've seen. I would compare it with Mama Mia which is incredibly entertaining and fun but Hairspray tops it with the most clever sets and effects that I've seen. It won eight out of the thirteen Tony awards it was nominated for.

As you probably know, Hairspray is the musical adaptation of the 1988 John Waters film, who by the way gets Consultant billing in the playbill. (John Waters had a cameo in the recent "Hairspray The Musical" movie as a flasher. And yes, there is a flasher in the stage show.)

The story is about racism in Baltimore (John Waters' home town) in 1962, but it is also a story of accepting people for who they are, no matter what color they are or what they look like. It focuses specifically on the integration of a teenage dance program called "The Corny Collins Show"*. Tracy Turnblad loves the show and her dream is to be a dancer on the show. However, she is faced with discrimination because she is overweight. Her mother, Edna Turnblad, is not only overweight but extremely unattractive. But her husband worships the ground she walks on. After all these years, despite the weight gain and aging, he is still madly in love with her and the number they do together "You're Timeless to Me" is so endearing and moving while also being hilariously funny. Tracy, unlike her mother, has enough self-confidence, personality and charisma to not only be instrumental in racially integrating the show (her favorite day is the once monthly "Negro Day" on the Corny Collins Show) but to attract the hottest, most popular guy on the show. So while the main plot of the musical is racism, size acceptance is the secondary plot.

Newcomer to Broadway, Shannon Durig, did a superb job as the bubbly Tracy. She played the part with great enthusiasm and her voice was great. Her dancing was limited but high-spirited. She was good at spinning and did a lot of it. I found her very appealing.

Edna Turnblad was played by George Wendt of tv's "Cheers" fame (he played Norm). Physically, he was perfect for the role of the overweight, unattractive, cariature of a woman which is what the role calls for. The fact that her husband Wilbur, played brilliantly by Tom Rooney, adores her for the lovable, wonderful person she is, is conveyed by and is the reason why a male actor in drag always plays the character. Everytime Wendt was on stage I roared with laughter and I must admit it wasn't long before I forgot it was a man playing the part.

In the role of Link, the teen idol of the "Corny Collins Show" who is trying to get his show business break, was Ashley Parker Angel. He was wonderful in the role, gorgeous, great singer, great dancer, great appeal. My daughter was gushing because we had watched him on a reality show called "Making the Band" which eventually evolved into the boy band "O-Town". I have to admit I was doing my share of gushing as well.

Of special note was a character actress named Susan Mosher who played multiple parts and was a standout in every scene she was in.

Another standout was Darlene Love as Motormouth Maybelle. Yes, THE Darlene Love, the rock and roll legend (she also played Danny Glover's wife in all four "Lethal Weapon" movies). Her voice could knock your socks off. She sang "Big, Blonde and Beautiful" a song about being happy with the way you are, and "I Know Where I've Been". She was outstanding and still quite a beautiful woman after 40 years in the business.

Also of note were Ashley Spencer, a finalist in America's "Grease, You're the One That I Want" playing Amber, Niki Scalera as Tracy's doddy best friend, Penny Pingleton, Naturi Naughton as Little Inez and Tevin Campbell as Seaweed. Spencer was quite good as Amber, Scalera played the ditzy friend to perfection and Naughton and Campbell were both fabulous dancers.

The show opened with an overhead of Tracy (Busby Berkley-style) in bed singing "Good Morning Baltimore" with ovals of dancers in silhouette behind her. And of course the ending was a happy, uplifting one, girl gets boy, everyone gets along, peace on earth with the entire cast and audience celebrating to "You Can't Stop the Beat". A fabulous evening, one I'll never forget.

*There was actually a dance show called "The Buddy Dean Show" on the air in Baltimore in the 60's which Hairspray is loosely based on. However, the producers of the show chose to cancel the show rather than integrate it.

The Snowman

2008-01-12T07:54:00.000-08:00

Well January has got off to a rare old canter. Thursday saw the "Dean" and myself touring The Bridgewater Hall, Although only built eleven years ago It has fast built a reputation for quality entertainment.
The home of The Halle Orchestra And the BBC Radio Orchestra to name but two, Over the past eleven years the hall has seen quite a variety of entertainment pass through its doors. Forthcoming events include Concert Appearances by John Barrowman, Liza Minnelli,Barbara Dickson & Alison Moyet. Alongside The Russian State Ballet Company, the Glen Miller Orchestra and the Vienna Tonkunster Symphony Orchestra the early Part of the year is set to be quite a time musically.
Friday night was The Manchester debut of the Snowman at the Lyric Theatre in the Lowry following on from the very successful pantomime Dick Whittington.
Based on the award winning animated feature its transfer to the stage as a modern dance piece has proven to be a big hit. That is if the clapping and cheering of the audience tonight was any kind of marker.

The Wedding Singer - It's Jersey Again

2008-01-11T07:08:00.000-08:00

I talked about The Wedding Singer which will be playing at the Palace Theatre in Manchester from February 22 to March 1 on last Sunday's Matinee. Because of time constraints I was unable to tell you about my friend Lana's take on the show. First of all, for the few of you who read the blog and don't listen to the show (who am I kidding?) I'll go over the synopsis again. The Wedding Singer is another Hollywood movie adapted into a musical for theatre. It takes place in 1985, give or take a few years, in New Jersey. New Jersey, for your information, is located south and southeast of New York and is part of the tri-state area of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut. Many residents of New Jersey work in New York City and many are former residents of New York. The stereotypical New Jerseyan is brash and has a "Joisey" accent. The stereotype is someone who will curse you out one minute and give you the shirt off his back the next. To be honest, New Jerseyans are very similar to New Yorkers and, in fact, just as sophisticated (unless of course they're from the Joisey shore. Just kidding. I love the Jersey shore and spend a week with my friends Joan and Mike Duffy every summer at their beach house in Sea Isle City.) And no, not every resident of New Jersey is connected to the mob. Well, back to The Wedding Singer. Rock star wannabe, Robbie Hart (originally played by Stephen Lynch a musician and stand-up comedian), is a popular New Jersey wedding singer. He's the life of the party kinda guy until his fiance leaves him at the altar. He can't hide the fact that his heart is broken and makes every wedding he plays as disasterous as his own. His loyal band members and his grandma, Rosie, do all they can to help him out of his despair but to no avail. Enter Julia, a waitress, who is about to be married to a Wall Street (NY financial district) up and comer. Robbie falls hook, line and sinker for her and spends the rest of the show trying to win her over and persuade her that she is engaged to the wrong guy. The show garnered the gamut of reviews. Most loved it although felt it lacked the quirkiness of the 1998 movie starring Adam Sandler and Drew Barrymore. Common to many of the reviews I read was the feeling that much of the music in the play which takes place in the '80's sounds more like '50's music except for a few dance numbers which evoke era-defining songs such as Thriller, Material Girl, and Flashdance. Of course, a wedding singer will sing an eclectic array of music so I don't think this criticism is valid.

Since I didn't see The Wedding Singer myself, I asked my friend Lana who did see it what she thought about it. Lana said she really enjoyed it. She said it was "a feel-good kind of play with fun, boppy music". Said it was "not great theatre but fun theatre and if you want a fun night out with your friends you'll love it".

Sounds like it's worth a trip down the aisle to see The Wedding Singer. So bring some rice, but leave the toilet paper and newspaper home (reference Rocky Horror Picture Show) and take yourself down to The Palace Theatre. Let me know what you think of it. You can email me at suko@matineeshow.co.uk.

Cheap Seats vs Best Seats/"Wintuk" Cirque du Soleil's Winter Tale

2008-01-02T07:35:00.000-08:00

It is my philosophy when it comes to musical theatre, ballet and opera, quantity as well as quality is important. If you can't afford the top tickets or even the medium priced tickets, then by all means purchase the cheapest tickets. It is actually better to sit further back for many shows because you get a broader view of the stage. I often get the $10/5 pound tickets for ballet because to be honest, ballet is better viewed further back. And how many times have I purchased top price tickets only to have to crane my neck and move from side to side to see because the person in front of me is very large. It hurts when you've paid $120/60 pounds for the ticket, but at $10/5 pounds you just make the best of it.

Case in point is "Wintuk" Cirque du Soleil's Winter Tale. My husband surprised me with tickets for it for Christmas. The top tickets were $200/100 pounds which is just too pricey. So he purchased the medium priced tickets and they were just fine but the cheapest tickets would have been okay too. It's such a magical, mystical, wondrous theatre experience that you get lost in it and don't think about where you're sitting.

If you've never seen a Cirque du Soleil production because you were scared away by the prices, reconsider next time you have the opportunity. It is like no other theatre experience you have ever seen. It is a circus in that there is a lot going on at one time and there are performers who can do things the human body was not created to be able to do. To me, they all have the flavor of a 50's/60's Italian movie. Very Fellini-ish. But they are so much more. They all take you on a journey with a story and a message. And each one is different. The last one we saw "Delirium" was more of a concert experience with music the driving force. The story was of a man looking for balance in an out of sync world. It was the first Cirque du Soleil production that added lyrics to the original and remixed music. It was quite wonderful and I must admit sitting in the front row was pretty special. We felt as though they were performing for us. And after the show they did come off the stage and shake our hands. (They must have known I was destined for radio stardom.) But in sitting in the front we were unable to see the two IMAX screens which were an integral part of the show.

Wintuk is very different. It still has the circus acts and the European sensibility but this one, unlike the others, is geared towards families. There is something for everyone. From puppet lampposts who sing, sway and bat their eyelashes, whimsical shaggy dogs the size of small elephants to the astounding acrobats who perform with street performer mentality and the 20 foot ice monsters. The story is simple, a boy in search of snow. The set is a street scene with clothes drying on the line and trash cans abounding with hills and a curved embankment in the background on which skaters and skateboarders slalom, flip and fly back and forth from one to the other. The clothes line is an important part of the scenery. When the snowless blizzard comes the clothes blow in a frenzy, and then there is the man in search of his pants who must walk the slack wire of the line to get to them. With the help of the dogs, a young man afraid of his shadow, the Shadow girl (a sweet ballerina who appears from a shadow) and a homeless female shaman, the boy, Jamie, attempts to bring snow to his wintry home. They are transported to the mystical northern land of Wintuk where the locals are in conflict with the ice monsters for trying to keep the snow from falling. It is the man afraid of his shadow who finds his strength and fends off the monsters. And the snows come. The boy and his entourage are transported home on the back of a giant crane to find the people rejoicing on the snowy street.

I believe the cheapest seats were $30/15 pounds. Definitely worth giving up a couple of double lattes for.

A Love Letter From Suko

2007-12-31T15:30:00.000-08:00

It's 6:32 pm New Year's Eve and I'm about to get ready for the two parties I will be attending tonight, but I've been thinking about this past year which was a very difficult one for me on a personal level but also a very rewarding one. This year I "met" some friends that I will cherish forever including James and Madame Aries, Chris Reardon from United Kingdom Talk, A Non E Moose, Joe Morris from American Talk USA and the listeners of all three shows. By happenstance I found United King Talk and became addicted to the Master of Merriment, the very befitting name someone dubbed Chris Reardon. I dubbed him "The Connector" because it is he who connected me to James and Madame Aries and all of you. Thank you for indulging this Long Island housewife with a modicum of knowledge about musical theatre and musicals. I hope this gig goes on for a long, long time. I look forward to the coming year sharing whatever I can find out, giving you my opinion on shows that I see and my weekly or whatever chat with James and Madame Aries. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

One more thing, I look forward in the new year to James' eyeglass appeal with video pleas from Nicki French, Rowetta, Dolly Parton, Stockard Channing and Babs.

Joy in the new year to all.

Love,

Suko

p.s. Have a listen to me and my family with Chris Reardon on his Christmas special part 1, Christmas day, www.unitedkingdomtalk.co.uk

Old Year For New

2007-12-29T18:38:00.000-08:00

Well 'tis almost the end of another year!!!!!!
As I Get older I am always amazed how quickly 365 days can go by.
This year thanks to James, Suko and the fabulous Nicki French not only has this year fled by at an alarming rate but also at an extremely enjoyable one too.
Interviewing some of the UK's top musical stars and more than a handful of up and coming ones has meant I have made new friends as well as reuniting me with one or two old ones.
2008 looks set to be as busy theatre wise as 2007, so with any luck my circle of friends will grow even wider, I do also count as part of that circle all of you who listen to James and myself week after week. Going into the studio on a Sunday afternoon is such a joy knowing we are all going to be sharing music and gossip about one of our fave subjects. Musical theatre! and ballet,and opera,and musical review. Keep listening dear friends and don't Forget in 2008 I will be starting a new feature "STAR" The First Of Which is almost completed. No not saying who till the new year but lets say She's come a long way from singing "God save the King" on the Royal Variety age 11 years. Mail me the name if you know it at matinee@tameside.co.uk when I announce it will also read out your name. Till 2008 hears to you all have a safe and successful year.

The Story Behind West Side Story

2007-12-28T10:00:00.000-08:00

Happy new year my friends. Hope your Christmas was wondrous. Two shows ago Madame Aries asked me if I had heard anything about a revival of West Side Story possibly coming to Broadway. I mentioned that I had but didn't know too many details. She said that third season "The X Factor" winner, Leona Lewis, had been approached by David Winters* to play the part of Maria. This prompted me to do some research and I found out some very interesting facts about the history of the show. First of all, yes, there is a revival in the works. 90 year old Arthur Laurents who wrote the book of West Side Story will purportedly be directing a revival. He said the 1970 revival was too white-bread and that he has come up with a way of doing it that will make it contemporary without changing a word or a note. Laurent, for your information, also wrote the "book" or libretto (the text of a dramatic musical work) for Gypsy** and Do I Hear A Waltz, among others, and won the Tony Award in 1983 for Best Direction of a Musical for La Cage aux Folles.

* David Winters, a Brit by the way, played Baby John in the original Broadway and A-Rab in the movie of West Side Story.
**A revival of Gypsy will open in March 2008 starring Broadway legend Patti Lupone as Mama Rose.

Besides the book being written by Arthur Laurents, listen to this list of greats who were connected with the original show. The score was composed by Leonard Bernstein who wrote the music with lyrics by Stephen Sondheim in his debut. Does it get any better than that? Well, listen to this. It was conceived, directed and choreographed by Jerome Robbins with the original cast including Larry Kert as Tony, Carol Lawrence as Maria and the one and only Chita Rivera as Anita. And it was produced by Harold Prince. With all this genius behind it, it couldn't miss, right? Well it debuted on Broadway at the Winter Garden Theatre in September 1957 and only played 732 performances before closing June 27, 1959. It had been nominated for Best Musical in 1957 but lost to Music Man. Jerome Robbins did, however, win the Tony for Best Director of a Musical. It was the 1961 blockbuster movie that put it on the map winning 10 Academy Awards including Best Picture. The classic Bernstein-Sondheim score boasts such tunes as "Tonight", "America", "Maria", "I Feel Pretty" and "Somewhere".

West Side Story premiered in Europe in 1958 at the Manchester Opera House, later that year transferring to Her Majesty's Theatre in London's West End. It was more successful in the West End than Broadway, running from December 1958 until 1961 with a total of 1,039 performances. Jerome Robbins directed and choreographed it with co-Choreographer, Peter Gennaro. The cast included Chita Rivera as Anita and George Chakiris as Riff who later won an Academy Award playing Bernardo in the film.

There is currently a tour of West Side Story making it's way through Europe which is slated to play at Sadlers Wells for six weeks in the summer before touring the rest of the United Kingdom after which it will return to Sadlers Wells for another 8 week run. And I'm happy to tell you that Manchester is confirmed for the winter of 2008.

Christmas Wishes and Some Random Thoughts From Suko, If Anyone Cares

2007-12-17T08:35:00.000-08:00

Thought this very busy week before Christmas that I would just blog about nothing in particular. I was going to talk about my favorite Christmas movies but when I was picking my daughter up from school I saw a sign on a bus advertising "Finding Nemo on Ice". Disney just can't get their fingers out of the pie. Anything for a buck. How many axels, and camels and schmamels can one endure? Okay, I was suckered into "High School Musical on Ice" and really enjoyed it but it had all that familiar music, albeit bubblegum, that is very catchy and high-spirited. We've seen "Disney Princesses on Ice", "The Jungle Book, Lion King and Tarzan on Ice" show and I remember one with Mickey and Minnie at camp, and some others that are not so memorable. Thankfully, my very mature 12 year old has outgrown them. We are looking forward to seeing some Broadway shows that I will report on on The Matinee. Two of them will be surprises for me, but I know that we will be going to see "A Year with Frog and Toad" again which I really, really loved. It is not, as James has mentioned, for kids only. It is so cleverly staged with minimal costumes and scenery which handily suggest the animals and their habitats. The music is lyrical, the lyrics witty. Jade and I liked it enough to want to see it again and this time we're bringing Daddy because we know he'll love it.

I've seen a lot of Broadway and off-Broadway musicals, A Chorus Line, Grease, Les Miz, Phantom, Lion King, Mama Mia, Fosse, Victor Victoria, Gypsy, Annie, Chicago, Beauty and the Beast, Pippin, Miss Saigon, Riverdance, Sweeney Todd, Cats, 42nd Street, Pirates of Penzance, The Producers, Evita, La Cage Aux Folle, Bombay Dreams, Forbidden Broadway, Godspell, The Fantasticks, Sweet Charity, Oklahoma, Hello Dolly, The Wiz, Company, Mame, Starlight Express, On the Twentieth Century, The Boy From Oz and more. But my favorite, favorite show was Bob Fosse's Dancin' and I'm happy to say it is being revived and projected to open in the spring of 2009. It's a long way off but I look forward to sharing it with my daughter who has great potential as a dancer. I, too, was a dancer and I loved this show. I must have seen it 10 times. I remember everytime a friend came from out of town I would get tickets for it because I wanted to share it with everyone. Bob Fosse was a genius, my very favorite choreographer (also did Sweet Charity, Pippin, Chicago, Damn Yankees and The Pajama Game, to name a few). My brother produced a tribute to him with Fosse's former wife, Gwen Verdon, now deceased. It was one of the most memorable nights of my life. I will write about it in a future blog. Ann Reinking, his protege and girlfriend, was in the original production and will be the artistic consultant of the revival. I met her at the tribute and she was so friendly and down to earth. More about the tribute another time.

So what are my favorite Christmas movies. The best are "Miracle on 34th Street", "White Christmas", "Holiday Inn", "A Christmas Story" and "Polar Express" (I saw it in 3D Imax, amazing). Some fun ones are "Elf", "Scrooged" and "Christmas with the Kranks" (there's a sidesplitting scene involving botox and believe it or not, this movie is a hilarious adaptation of the book "Skipping Christmas" by John Grisham, the novelist best known for his legal dramas such as "The Firm" and "The Pelican Briefs"). One day this week, drop the shopping, the baking, the wrapping, the decorating, and writing cards, and get yourself a couple of hot toddies or some rum-laced eggnog and relax with one or four of the above. Any one of them will put you in the holiday spirit of which I am not yet in. So do as I say, not as I do because I haven't afforded myself the time to watch any of them yet but I have tivoed "Miracle on 34th Street" and have "Polar Express" and "Christmas with the Kranks" on DVD. Maybe tonight, no, tomorrow night, no. Oh well, I'll fit one in somehow. Now where did I put the rum and the remote?

I wish James and Madame Aries, Bengarrion, Ocean, the Tameside management and staff and all the listeners and readers of The Matinee's blog a very happy and healthy Christmas and New Year.

Love, Suko

Bah Humbug Scrooge comes to Manchester

2007-12-12T03:30:00.000-08:00

Yes Shane Ritchie is back in Manchester with Scrooge the Musical

A rather lavish press night ensured that all guests were filled with an air of excitement even before the show started, and what a show followed. The score itself is fab but a show like this also has the pontential of being very drab. A fact that the producers and cast avoided excellently. What is infact a very dark story was told in such a way that even the most stubborn theatre goer would have found something to enjoy. Shane was superb in the role (even if some people didn't recognise him with all the makeup. One woman behind me commented "so which one is Shane". The set was very well done, with all sorts of clever ways of turning in to each scene without long periods of dark whilst the scenery changes (something I hate with a passion)

The magic effects were great if not a tad scary. For Magical people out there, A Dekolta Chair in reverse for one, A very effective mirror penetration and some effects that really fall in the catagory of staging but with the same effect. As someone who loves both magic and theatre I was actually quite suprised to be trying to work out how some were done.

All in all one of the best christmas productions I have seen in a long time.

Shane very kindly also appealed for Madame Aries new teeth when we spoke to him for the show. Check below for the video of the appeal.

Catch A Glimpse of Suko's Daughter and the World Renown Elite Dancentre's Jazz Petites

2007-12-11T05:12:00.000-08:00

I mentioned on Sunday's show about my daughter, Jade, and her dance competition team performing for the troops as part of The Trees for Troops extravaganza which has become an annual program. Our friend Gigi's family owns a local nursery in Oceanside, New York called Dee's who for the past four years has been shipping 1,000 Christmas trees to the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan in partnership with DHL which ships the trees at no charge. The program included Miss Colleen's Elite Dancentre's Jazz Petite Competition Team, including Jade doing a solo at the beginning to "All I Want For Christmas" choreographed by Miss Colleen. The girls also did a spirited number choreographed by Miss Lauren to "Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy". The show included four USO singers and several local school children reading letters they had written to the troops. They performed at Dee's and then accompanied the trees and care packages to the DHL hangar at Kennedy Airport with police escort where they performed again. Thanks to Dee's and DHL who treated us to both breakfast and lunch.

The above was covered by several local news stations including Fox 5 News. Here is the link to a clip:http://www.myfoxny.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail;jsessionid=8BAB88EF78F1040D2137F3BB19E3D560?contentId=5108273&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1&sflg=1. (Jade is the only one in a black jacket.)

American Idol - A Ticket to Broadway?

2007-12-10T06:08:00.000-08:00

Say what you will about reality tv but American Idol has contributed several fine performers to Broadway not to mention the amazing Academy Award winning performance by Jennifer Hudson in the movie Dreamgirls. The latest Idol alumnus to join the ranks is Clay Aiken who is taking over the role of the timid Sir Robin in Spamalot. Clay will make his Broadway debut on January 18th playing the role which has been played by David Hyde Pierce since the musical opened on Broadway in March of 2005. Also currently on Broadway is the fabulous Fantasia Barrino starring as Celie (played by Whoopi Goldberg in the movie) in The Color Purple. The news of Fantasia being cast in The Color Purple was met with trepidation but she proved herself to be more than worthy of the role. She received rave reviews from many of Broadway's most respected critics including Charles Isherwood from the New York Times who said she was "pretty terrific". "So terrific that this earnest but mechanical musical is more effective and affecting than it was when it yawned open a year and a half ago at the Broadway Theater." Other Idol veterans who have appeared on Broadway are Tamyra Gray in Rent and Bombay Dreams (a show which I adored; I thought she did a great job), Constantine Maroulis in The Wedding Singer (which, incidentally, is coming to Manchester's Palace Theatre from February 18 to March 1, 2008), Diana DeGarmo in Hairspray, and Frenchie Davis also in Rent.

So, you see, the American Idol alumni have made a generous contribution to the Great White Way. They've already garnered fans from the television show and made "names" for themselves which does sell tickets (in a way a sad commentary to the many gypsies who have pounded the pavement the hard way.) Maybe Clay Aiken (I must say I love 'im) will find his "holy grail" on Broadway. If he can pull off the show stopper at the top of the second act "You Won't Succeed on Broadway" (...You may fill your plays with gays/Have Nigerian girls in stays/You may even have some shiksas (non-Jewish girls) making stews/You haven't got a clue/If you don't have a Jew...) he's got it made. May his quest be a success.

New York, New York and It's Wondrous Christmas Trees and Windows

2007-12-03T12:46:00.000-08:00

Now that the strike has ended I invite you all to visit New York where your dollar goes far. There are so many great ticket deals and restaurant discounts in place to help put New York City back in everyone's graces. Here are some special offers for the holiday season: Hairspray $65 weekdays, $70 weekends through January 31, 2008; Rent $40 rear mezzanine, $55 front mezzanine, $65 orchestra through December 23, 2007; Spamalot Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday at 8pm, Sunday at 2pm & 7pm $60 mezzanine, $75 orchestra through January 17, 2008 excluding performances from 12/26 through 12/31; Xanadu $59 all performances through 12/23; Curtains $59.50 front mezzanine, $78.50 orchestra. Offer valid Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings and Sunday matinees through 12/16 and all performances 12/18-12/23; The Drowsy Chaperone $52.25 mid-mezzanine, $76.25 orchestra and front mezzanine, Tuesday, Thursday through Saturday at 8, Wednesday at 2 and Sunday at 3 and 7. Also available are bargains for Tom Stoppard's Rock 'n Roll and The Seafarer.

While in New York be sure to visit the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree on 5th Avenue and 49th Street on display until January 6, 2008. This year the tree is an 84 feet tall, Norwegian spruce planted in 1947 in Connecticut. Chris Reardon and all eco-conscious folks will be happy to know that the Christmas landmark has gone green for the first time. It was lit with a new set of energy efficient LED lights fully powered by solar panels. You can also watch the ice skaters below or go for a skate yourself.

There are other trees of interest around the city including the Origami Christmas Tree at the American Museum of Natural History, a wonderful place to spend the day. This year the theme of the tree is Fantastic Creatures, mythical and real, from dragons and mermaids to narwhals and peacocks. They also have two 19 foot Holiday Barosaurs lit up for the holiday season. The Chorus Tree at South Street Seaport is a tree made up of carolers performing Fridays at 6 & 7 pm, Saturdays and Sundays at 3 & 4 through Christmas. There's great shopping and restaurants down there as well. The Peace Tree in the Cathedral of St. John the Divine at 110th St. and Amsterdam Ave. is decorated with 1,000 paper cranes and other peace symbols. Children can participate in a workshop to learn how to make the cranes and there is also a walking tour of the Cathedral that highlights the pre-Christian origins of Christmas. And don't miss a day at the Metropolitan Museum of Art and it's breathtaking 20 foot blue spruce featuring 18th century Neapolitan angels and cherubs planking a Neopolitan Baroque creche. The museum is located at 1000 5th Avenue and 82nd Street.

And not to be missed is Holiday Window Gazing at some of midtown New York's biggest department stores. Macy's Herald Square's theme, West 34th and Broadway, is Santa's Great Adventure that takes him into space. This year window gazers can see their own images captured and beamed to Santa's naughty and nice television monitors. There are regular updates on the percentages of naughty versus nice. In addition, one window is actually a two-in-one that flips upside down to represent the northern and southern hemispheres as Santa barrels through the night bearing gifts. Lord & Taylor’s theme, 5th Ave. and East 38th St., this year is the five senses of Christmas portrayed through a series of miniature holiday scenes with a largely European flavor. Taste is portrayed as a Christmas dinner in an upper class New York city home. Feel is a wintry Copenhagen scene where a child prepares to throw a snowball and others are building a snowman. Smell is captured by the fragrant pastries and breads of a Paris bakery making holiday treats. Sight is Santa Claus arriving in Venice’s exquisite facades. Sound portrays a group of musicians playing in a Vienna mansion. A final window shows children from all over the world, dressed in their native costumes, celebrating the holiday. This year Saks Fifth Avenue windows, 5th Ave. & East 49th St., are scenes full of quirky, spinning snowmen who are off on an adventure to discover their own identities. The Saks windows are a constant swirl of whirling, twirling, spinning and swooping with spunky snowmen characters. One snow-woman even gives off the aura of a shimmying Carmen Miranda. Bloomingdale’s windows, 3rd Ave. & East 59th St., are the creations of children's imagination. In collaboration with the Children’s Museum of Manhattan and the Children’s Museum of the Arts this summer, Bloomingdale’s invited children to create collages, paintings and sculptures which were then converted into life-size scenes. The plots may not make so much sense, but the visual impact of the scenes are intense, featuring characters like an alien queen with five eyes and two mouths, a robot with a candy heart and a glowing purple snowflake with oracle-like qualities.

These are requisite traditional activities my family enjoys during this holiday time. Hopefully, these will leave my daughter with fond memories of her childhood Christmases. I can guarantee you will love doing any and/or all of them. The nice thing is that most of the tree viewing and window gazing is free. And remember that the pound is worth 2 to 1, in your favor. You lucky son of a Brits.

Yippee!!!! Broadway's Back

2007-11-29T07:06:00.000-08:00

I'm happy and relieved to report that the Broadway stagehands' union (Local One) and the League of American Theatres and Producers came to a tentative agreement and most of the shows on Broadway will reopen tonight with tickets for at least one show a phenomenal bargain, $26.50 for all available seats for "Chicago" (which I've seen several times and can tell you this is definitely worth the price.) There will probably be some good deals at the TKTS booths for tonight's shows as well. Wish I had the time to go tonight. I've been on pins and needles because I have tickets for a couple of shows in the near future. If the strike continued: 1. I would have been disappointed in not being able to see the shows and report back to you, and 2. I dreaded the thought of going through the refund/exchange process. I mean, I have enough to do to keep up these blogs and talk about the shows and what's going on in NYC plus my other responsibilities and commitments. Boohoo Su, that's what they call me, hehe. Anyway, hip hip hooray for the Great White Way!!!!!!!

Sinatra or The Jersey Boys?

2007-11-26T08:39:00.000-08:00

Last week a tribute to Frank Sinatra "Our Sinatra: A Musical Celebration" reopened off-Broadway at the Storybook Theatre at the Broadway Comedy Club located in the heart of Times Square at 318 W. 53rd Street. I'm continuing to report on shows that are open during the strike just in case someone from Tameside/Manchester area or anywhere else in the world you might be listening is planning a visit to New York City in the coming weeks. I, myself, would love to join Madame Aries in Grand Canaria (we call them the Canary Islands). But you could have a great time in NYC even during the strike.

Getting back to "ole blue eyes". In case you didn't know, Frank Sinatra is inarguably New Jersey's (or as locals call it "Joysey") most famous son. If you like Sinatra, and who doesn't, this might be right up your alley. "Our Sinatra" is a musical revue featuring 50 songs made popular by Sinatra including My Kind of Town, Fly Me to the Moon, In the Wee Small Hours, All or Nothing (his first recording), and The Lady is a Tramp from "Pal Joey". Two men and a woman share their passion for Sinatra and his music singing individually and together in different combinations. Sinatra's music runs the gamut from classic ballads of the 40's, saloon and torch songs, 50's and 60's swingers as well as all time hits like New York, New York. Ticket prices are $65 for orchestra and $80 for ringside VIP (whatever that is).

And then, if the strike happens to end while you're here, maybe you can get a ticket for "Jersey Boys" which won four Tony awards in 2006 including Best Musical. It's the story of Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, one of the most successful 60's rock and roll groups. Or you can wait until it opens in London on March 18, 2008 at the Prince Edward Theatre. If the medley James and Madame Aries played on yesterday's (11/25) "Matinee" whet your appetite, book your tickets now. Or you can just take a day trip to Joysey and meet "the boys". Whatever ring-a-ding-dings your bell.

The Matinee Heads for London

2007-11-25T13:17:00.000-08:00

Yes as if Tameside wasn't enough we head for London. Madame Aries if off for her yearly botox injections and I am off for the first time to London. Never Forget the musical based on the music of Take That is heading for the West End and the DVD is also now available and to celebrate this Nicki French and Myself will be chatting to the guys behind the show at an exclusive party in the West End. Expect all the usual on next weeks show but instead of Madame A, Nicki will take on the mantle of being drunk in charge of a microphone (after a few white wines). I of course will be sober as I never touch a drop (before midday). After the show I will be popping in to Chris Reardons United Kingdom Talk also on Tameside Radio (at 10pm and podcast) to show him how radio presenting is really done. (actually hes putting me up...or should that be putting up with me) and I will give an honest review of his Bingay night. The week after expect something big but thats all Shhhhhh at the mo so keep it here till its confirmed.... Take Care James Dean xxx (ps ill remember you all when i'm at the exclusive party honest ...hic..............)

On The Town

2007-11-22T07:24:00.000-08:00

Canaries Here I Come Whooopeeeeee

2007-11-22T07:00:00.000-08:00

Well Dear readers. Finally I have decided the time is right to have a vacation. So along with a couple of friends I will be in Gran Canaria for ten days from the 29TH Nov. Am so looking forward to it, but before that will be at the Opera House to see Carmen and to the Palace for the ballet The Snow Queen. Will tell u all about it on the show, as I shall be recording a review for the show before I ship out. All in all its been a quiet week here at Aries Towers needed to get the boiler man out twice this week. like I Said Not A Lot Happening. Well Time To Go. If You Are In A Panto Or Know Of One Locally Let Us Know As James & I Would Love To Come And See It. Be It A School, Amature Or Professional Production Makes No Difference Its All Good Fun. You never know we may discover a star in the making.
Till next time, take care ARIES XXX

Horrible Histories and Never Forget

2007-11-21T07:01:00.000-08:00

Well this week myself and Middle Aged Mary went to see the kids show Horrible Histories. Its a panto style show with lots of singing and sillyness and a fair dosage of Yuck. The show makes learning fun, infact you forget that your learning. The back of the stage is filled with a gigantic video screen and the interaction between the actors and the screen is flawless. In the second half they handed out Boggle vision glasses (3D glasses) and I wouldn't be suprised if there are not a few nightmares after the flying Mummy. (I know I did and i'm 26) Well worth a visit though and good fun for the kids. Middle Aged Mary even got up dancing.

Never Forget DVD
Yes its finally happened. Never forget, the musical based on the music of Take That and follows the life of Five er misfits as they audition for a Take That tribute band. The casting is flawless and Tim Driesen as Adrian Banks is brilliant. Watch out for the Gold Thong and the Green Shorts. We will be featuring more on Never Forget on the show 2nd Dec. This is a special show featuring Myself and Nicki French as Madame Aries is off on her hols.

"Die Mommie Die" Lives Off-Broadway Starring the Dazzling Charles Busch

2007-11-19T13:42:00.000-08:00

I want to preface this blog by saying that this is not a musical I'm reporting on but while the strike continues I've decided to tell you about some off-Broadway shows worth seeing. All of the four shows mentioned have had positive critiques from both the critics and the public alike.

The New World Stages located just west of Times Square on 50th between 8th and 9th Avenue is a five theatre state-of-the-art facility housing some of the best of off-Broadway shows. For a limited time, New World Stages is offering tickets for all of their shows at the bargain price of $36.50. Some of the Broadway area's most popular shows are currently playing here including: "Altar Boyz", "Celia" (celebrating the life and music of Celia Cruz), "The Gazillion Bubble Show", and "Die Mommie Die" starring Charles Busch.

Charles Busch, writer, actor and one of America's most celebrated drag queens, wrote this play in 1999 and played the lead in Los Angeles before it was made into a feature film of the same name with Busch again in the lead. Now Busch recreates the story of Hollywood has-been Angela Arden here in the New York area for the first time. In the part Mr. Busch embodies such Hollywood divas of yesteryear as Joan Crawford, Bette Davis and, of course, Gloria Swanson as Norma Desmond. You want camp, you get camp here. From the gaudy costumes (40 in the movie, several of which are used in the play), the wigs, the eyelashes, the horribly extravagant sets, the cliches, the kitsch you'll find loads of laughs in this murder mystery/thriller/comedy. "Busch and his five co-stars handle bad style with great style." (a quote from Newsday.com)

Angela Arden is a "this side of 50" fallen pop diva trapped in a hateful marriage trying to find happiness by planning a comeback and taking a younger lover. Angela murders her husband using a poisoned suppository, leaving her two children to avenge their father's death. The play follows Angela, her film producer husband, their gay son and "daddy's girl" daughter, the out-of-work actor lover and their live-in maid through the twists and turns uncovering other crimes Angela has committed and finally a confession to her children afer they lace her drink with LSD.

So if you're in New York City during the strike or after for that matter, don't discount seeing this or any of the other plays at New World Stages. Remember that many a Broadway hit including "A Chorus Line", "Rent" and "Spring Awakening" started off-Broadway.

Back at last

2007-11-13T13:38:00.000-08:00

Technology I hate it. Lost the entry codes for the site. So here I am re invented and reinstalled.

Well what have I been up to?

Glad you asked, show after show after show.

Starting with "Godspell", Star of the show Steven Gatley enjoying a return to musical theatre. A very good revival with a strong supporting cast. Next "Hot Flush", with a stellar cast featuring Marti Webb with a voice as strong as ever, Rula Lenska stunning as ever with a surprisingly strong voice, the vivacious Sheila Ferguson, soon to return to Manchester in February with the show "Songs from Sister Act"alongside Rowetta, and the last of the ladies the excellently funny Rachel Izen. Not forgetting the man himself Sam Kane. Hunky talented and a perfect Foil to the ladies. All in all a very good show funny touching and raucous. Next up was "Aspects of love" Star of the Show David Essex was in good voice. As were his costars Shona Lindsay Matt Rawle & Poppy Tierney. A good show with an excellent score. Now for my two favorite Shows, Gary Wilmot Starred in "Half A Sixpence" A show full of life, fun and pathos. Now for the young and young at heart, "Doctor Doolittle"A show with Colour Spectacle and Fun. Mr Tommy Steele a veteran performer of 40 years experience

The Broadway Strike Continues But Have No Fear, Suko's Here

2007-11-13T05:30:00.000-08:00

Okay, so no one wants to visit New York without seeing a Broadway show. Well, there are many alternatives including Radio City Music Hall, Lincoln Center, The Roundabout Theatre, Manhattan Theatre Club, and the Theatres at 45 Bleecker among others to consider while the strike continues. While 27 Broadway theatres are dark, there are 8 that remain open during the strike including Mary Poppins, Young Frankenstein, Xanadu and The Putnam County Spelling Bee. The TKTS booths at the Marriott Marquis and the South Street Seaport remain open so you can still check out what's available at discount prices. Most of the shows off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway are very reasonably priced and there are some fabulous ones definitely worth seeing including Forbidden Broadway playing at the 47th Street Playhouse which is a satiric panoply of many of the most popular shows on Broadway today and from the past. (See my blog of October 30th.) Also The Ritz at the Roundabout Theatre, a nonprofit theatre not affected by the strike, is a worthwhile option. The critics said it was dated but Rosie Perez's performance was worth the price of the ticket. (See my blog of October 9th.) The Radio City Music Hall Christmas Show featuring the Rockettes is open now until December 30th, Nutcracker at Lincoln Center from November 23rd to December 30th and Cirque du Soleil's Wintuk now until January 6th at Madison Square Garden's WaMu Theatre. Your best bet is to visit or call The New York Convention and Visitors Bureau at 810 Seventh Avenue at 53rd Street, 212 484-1200 or purchase a copy of Time Out New York which lists everything going on in NYC for that week. Please don't cancel that long-awaited trip to New York City. There's lots to see and do. Come and enjoy your stay.

Legally Blonde the Musical is Pretty in Pink

2007-11-05T15:14:00.000-08:00

The curtain opens. Omigosh, the stage is awash in pink, the new navy. It's all so glittery and sugary sweet like cotton candy. This is my idea of what the opening scene of Legally Blonde the Musical must look like. I spoke briefly of it on Sunday's Matinee but I had a lot more to say about it so thought it would make a good blog entry. I read several critiques and spoke to someone, a friend of a friend, who saw it and the following is what I gleaned from the many sources. From what I've read Legally Blonde is a high energy, dance-driven piece of sparkling fluff. The cast is loaded with talent, great dancers, great voices, lots of pizzazz. The bad thing is Reese Witherspoon isn't in it. I mean, if ever there was perfect casting it was Reese as Elle Woods, the California Valley girl who follows her rich haughty boyfriend, Warner Huntington III, to Harvard only to be rejected by him because of his political aspirations. "If I want to be a Senator, I need to marry a Jackie not a Marilyn." But Elle with her innate confidence continues her Harvard education and goes on to discover that you can use your brain without giving up the advantages of being blonde and beautiful, and staying true to yourself. Laura Bell Bundy in the role of Elle is a terrific singer and dancer, has oodles of energy but lacks the irresistible quirky egotism of Reese. I mean, how do you follow Reese Witherspoon? The role was tailor-made for her.

The opening number is one of the liveliest seen in years and the second act opener, an homage to Riverdance, is electrifying but the score for the most part is lackluster. They kept in the hilarious "Bend and Snap" number in which Elle's manicurist friend, Paulette, instructs her on how to drop and retrieve items to attract men. A worthy addition to the stage show is a Greek chorus of sorority sisters who comment on what is going on in Elle's head.

The general concensus of the critics, mostly male, is that although it is geared towards 'tween and teenage girls and their mothers and grandmothers, none of them were bored nor turned off. I'm really looking forward to seeing it with my daughter. It sounds like a perfect mother/daughter day out. Lunch and a matinee. Omigosh, awesome!!!!!!

Aspects of Half a Sixpence

2007-11-02T11:27:00.000-07:00

Well this week was a marathon week of shows for us, Aspects of Love followed by Half a Sixpence. Aspects was a shock to me. You don't expect bare breasts and copulation on stage at an Andrew Lloyd Webber. Then there is the story line. Nephew falls in love with actress. Uncle falls in love with same actress, Actress falls in love with Uncles old girlfriend. Uncle and actress have a daughter, Nephew falls in love with daughter. Uncle has heart attract because of this so nephew goes off with uncles old fling......My head hurts. The music was top notch although Love Changes Everything sung by anyone other than Michael Ball is not the same but was still top rate. If the tour is anywhere near you we strongly recommend it. Half a Sixpence is more of a camp musical lots of dancing, fancy sets and jokes. Gary Wilmot was an excellent piece of casting. We tapped our feet all the way through. There were plenty of songs you would know and a few you wouldn't and when Gary sang a very emotive song the audience gave rapturous applause. It was also the first show I have been to where they have complied with the audience shouts of Encore.

Next week is an even busy week.
Monday: Miss Bollywood with Shilpa Shetty
Tuesday: Dr Doolittle with Tommy Steele
Wednesday: Get Naked - Hear the interview on this weeks show.