Revised and expanded Sunday, January 25, 2009
Last I left you, it was a Sunday evening and Doug and I went to see PAL JOEY - perhaps my most highly anticipated show - and as we walked out, there was a slight depressed air of agreement between us that we've just witnessed -in previews- a flop in the making [post-script: didn't quite turn out that way]. It has happened to us twice before when we took in SWEET SMELL OF SUCCESS, the musical, and, most recently, with LOVEMUSIK, a season back. After all, why would anyone in their right mind make Stockard Channing want to sing out loud [and not even out loud] when she ain't got the voice. She may look the part but, let's face it, we're paying a lot of moolah for someone to more than just look the part. And what about the understudy who got that leading role when the original star upped and disappered on day two or three. No name, no charisma and not one outstanding talent to show for [although by most estimates he's a good singer, a better dancer but not much of a star]. Thank god for Martha Plimpton and her ode to the Busby Berkley years. At least she can act AND sing, both skills she can do remarkably well. Full review coming up.
Monday started off with a long -desired- walk from 88th down to 9th to meet up with my aunt Etti. I paced myself with pit stops for a latte & some candied cashews so by the time I finally arrived, almost ninety minutes later, I was ready to eat anything and everything. Thankfully, we lunched at her favourite restaurant KNICKERBOCKER [or as I love to call it Kennickerbocker], an absolutely delicious upscale nouvelle cuisine steak house. But of course I did not have any steak. I went straight for the spinach salad and some fusion-like tuna tartar. We had a pleasant reunion, a first since August and the only one-on-one I can recall in years. It was absolutely lovely.
I then checked out a gay film playing at the Village Cinemas. It is called WERE THE WORLD MINE and it plays very much like a HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL for the gay set with cheesy musical numbers interspersed between afterschool special dialogue. I rather enjoyed it for being silly and cheerful and, mostly, unbelieveably, romantic. A complete review can be found on my blog. Let's just say, I left on air.
I later did me some more walking and went to meet Justin for dinner at a very nice Mediterranean restaurant that had delicious tapas and we finally caught up. I was very impressed to learn more about him and his performing background, as we had only met in January when he was onboard for a few days of work. After the dinner, we walked up to LINCOLN CENTER where I was his guest at the METROPOLITAN OPERA for Mozart's DON GIOVANNI. From our Family Circle seats I had the best possible view to study the entire magnificnet opera house. I was mostly taken by the man who stood to the side with a podium in front, practicing along, studying to be a conductor. It was quite neat to watch. The opera itself lasted three hours and a half but, even at my most tired, I was so impressed with my very first ever MET experience. Truth be told, I am not an opera afficionado and only ever been to a live performance a couple of times. I much prefer the genre on film, just like Shakespeare, where the visual elements complement the story. The more excitingly visual it is the more I respond. Yet, operas on this grand scale at the Met tend to have impressive sets, and as such, DON GIOVANNI was not exception. The opera did not skimp on sets or costumes.
Tuesday was also packed with business - which for me is pleasure - First off to the RADIO CITY CHRISTMAS SEPCTACULAR were the famous Rockettes [I counted 36 of them] synchronized themselves and danced away the morning in a show that reminds me of ship shows but bigger [and, perhaps, even better]. I first went to Radio City Musical Hall in 1975, when I was eleven, accompanying my dad and his cousin from France. At the time, I clearly remember, we went to watch AT LONG LAST LOVE, that monumental musical flop starring Burt Reynolds & Cybill Shepherd. It was a transitional time for the Hall, when it became a behemoth/movie house and the live performances were only incidental between screenings, at least that's how I remember it as a kid. I then went back in 1997 to watch Rosie O'Donnell host her very first Tony Awards during the year that the Theater Wing celebrated the women of the stage. You can imagine who I got to see back then. I still have my special bound Playbill and all sorts of memories about A-listers that I got to stand next to [Bacall, Minnelli, Close, Welch, name her she was most probably there]. So back at the hall for the first time in over eleven years and my very first Rockettes experience, no doubt I was impressed. In addition to the fabulous tall legged women, this show had six singers, another dozen dancers, an ice skating pair, other speciality acts [don't ask], 3D intro [glasses included] and a nativity scene fully furnished with three real camals & a mule, to boot. A definite etravaganza, it had its thrilling moments but even at 45 minutes the fast and furious show already seemed a tad too long and there was still another 45 minutes to go.
UN CONTE DE NOEL, the new French film featuring Catherine Deneuve, had the complete opposite effect on me. At two hours and a half of mostly bleaknes and very dark humour, I was very satisfied watching one family's mess not getting resolved during their holiday reunion. Sort of felt like home where charcaters are allowed to have mixed emotions and conflicted feelings towards one another. The early afternoon show at the LINCOLN PLAZA was packed with all kinds of people who, like me, are looking for films that are beyond the scope of Hollywood schlock. UN CONTE DE NOEL received a lot of attention from critics worldwide because it plays against the ideal notions of what a family holiday film should look and sound like. For a French fare highlighting impressive performances from its quality cast, it had an anti-conventional slickness to it. Definitely for those who like their spewing in large doses.
One of my true highlights during this visit was the extraordinary experience of watching ALL MY SONS, a new vision of Arthur MIller's classic drama. Although the script's the same, the innovative direction behind this production really made for some exciting, innovative decisions that complement the performers and shine spotlight on their talents. One thing's for sure, Dianne Wiest is absolutely beyond AMAZING. Her presence sent shivers up my spine. I had seen her before in Wendy Wasserstein's last play THIRD [where she was also solid] but this time she commanded the stage. John Lithgow was also quite powerful in the lead and worked magnificently with her. Patrick Wilson, up close and personal, was smoldering hot and a fine actor too. Katie Holmes is the play's only weak link and it's not so much that she's bad [she's fine] but more that she just doesn't have that natural range to play diverse emotions authentically. Still, she is an absolute beauty and is graceful on stage. I can tell you that there is not a dull moment in ALL MY SONS and that very few plays have ever had such power over me even if I read it in grade ten and sort of remembered what it was about.
Wedensday started with Mel Brook's YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, a big time musical filled with old fashioned humour, melodic numbers and lavish sets. It was not well received when it first opened but did get its share of Tony nominations last June. But no matter what the others say, I truly enjoyed my time at the theatre. It is a finely written and catchy musical of the Mel Brooks Vaudeville variety, not that there's anything wrong with that. As a kid, I loved Brooks and his sort of inane, slapstick humour. Growing up I became ashamed and tried to distance myself from ever admitting this but as I get older, and more comfortable in my own skin, I am not ashamed to say that Mel Brooks is a special kind of genius. The numbers are mostly terrific and while the show begins to get long in the tooth it ends just about in time to leave you satisfied by the end. Roger Bart had a big shoe to fill recreating Gene Wilder's film part and did so quite well. He is at times hysterical but mostly funny thanks to his talented abilities. The one thing that I did notice is that the show was written with its original stars in mind and each number [mostly great] features a grand entrance of sorts for the collective ensemble of Megan Mullally, Sutton Foster and Andrea Martin. Today with many of the stars gone and replaced by a talented cast of mostly unknowns it is a bit jarring to notice such an obvious conceit.
Wedensday evening was a serious evening when I checked out Frank Langella as Thomas More in A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS. This Robert Bolt revival is so delicately made and so powerfully performed by everyone thaat it is one of those plays that keeps you hanging onto every intelligent word after another. Langella, once again, proves to be a true actor of the stage. His is a real face for the theatre. Yet watching A MAN FOR ALL SEASONS reminded me of classic plays works mostly written in an era during the sixties, primarily somber works and intellectually challenging pieces offering a revisionist point of view of history and most probably romanticizing its heroes.
Two Israeli movies secured my Thursday afternoon. The first, ANTARCTICA was a light romantic gay dramedy - as light as gay will allow - that showed six very good looking young Israelis in their twenties to thrities crossing paths. If anything it was fun. It is also a very modern look at cosmopolitan life in Tel Aviv and features a backstory that involves a famous writer being interviewed by one of the key characters, as a journalist, leading up to a Rabin Square rendezvous in Tel Aviv where an alien space craft is due to arrive. If that, or the fact that a mother of two of the leads is played by a drag queen, or that a heavyset bald headed man keeps walking around like a serial killer, placing his head into department store refrigerators does not intice you, well maybe the plenty of sex between six men and two women throughout the film will. If anything, the film shows you how no different the Israeli city life is and how men would rather avert committed relationships in favour of uninvolved one-night stands. Pity life's much the same all over the world.
The much better of the two movies was THE SECRETS, featuring Franch star Fanny Ardant, as a mysterious neighbour of an all girls seminary in Israel. The story is essentially one of reawkenings and self-discovery among two of the girls devoted to biblical studies. It is a thoughtful, sensitively handled story, professionally made and very delicate in nature . I was very impressed. Its director, Avi Nesher was once a bright up and coming talent in Israel. He made several popular and creative flicks before he gave away to Hollywood where he ended up making junk for money. I was fortunate enough to interview him for a university paper back in 1985, and found him to be an intelligent and insightful artist. Back then he had a glorious Israeli film, RAGE AND GLORY, at the International Film Festival in Montreal and I was wishing him only th every best. So it is was very nice indeed that I surprisingly walked in on THE SECRETS, quite literally by mistake. 
IN THE HEIGHTS - this year's Tony winner as Best Musical - threw me in for a surprise. I truly loved watching it with its contangious salsa/latin infused hip hop and rap. At its heart, it is still an old fashioned musical, a modern take on WEST SIDE STORY [aren't they all], one that clearly belongs on the Broadway stage. Highly recommended, I immediately bought the soundtrack and until today I still listen to some of the infectious numbers. Even on an iPod, they lose none of their power. Still one of the shows best aspect is its choreography and the concoction of dance styles that blend making IN THE HEIGHTS a highly stirring live experience.
I finally met up with Cathy on friday afternoon, first for some Hummus, my food of choice during this trip, and then for a screening of FROST/NIXON. I have to say that although I saw the play in the spring of 2007 with both Sheen and Langella, I did not think that the film would be nearly as good. I had faith in Peter Morgan but was most surprised [and happy] with Ron Howard's choices. First off, he opened up the script and made it film relevant to today's audience and then he got two glorious performances, especially the conflicted proud one from Langella. Here Langella doesn't even have to talk. The camera lingers on his face and a thousand words come out in his silence. It is beautifully done. The film takes dry material and turns it into a sort of thriller where, despite us knowing the outcome, still has us at the edge of our seats.
By that point I was already beginning to sense my cold and flu coming up. While it started on Thursday it really became prominent as of Friday. But it was Friday night after all and it was Liza's night. No use to ruin a night like this. Doug and I headed to the Palace where LIZA'S AT THE PALACE was to take place. It was her first night after the grand opening show on Wednesday. She was bound to make her short holiday stint on Broadway a glorious one. And it was! Simply GRAND! While Liza may have lost her capacity to sing like she once sang or to dance as she once danced, she never once lost her energy and enthusiasm and her need to connect with her fans. She seems to love garnering the attention. She thrives on it. And she knows it and she's not given up at all. Here she gave it her all in a very professional but intimate show that had her audience [a mixed crowd] stand up and cheer at just about every single number. Great choice of songs & perfectly conceived - it was an incredible experience even if she is no longer at her prime.
Arthur showed up on Staurday morning and, even if I were feeling sick like a dog, I was not going to let it deter us from having fun on Broadway. So off we went to see THE LITTLE MERMAID, another show that was generally panned. Well forget what you've heard. A beautiful, if original set design is the first noteworthy thing you notice and then costumes, acting, songs. It's all there. You'd have to be a cynic to diss this show. Much like YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN, THE LITTLE MERMAID started to feel a little too long but Sherie Rene Scott as Ursula does an outstanding job not only singing the famous film song POOR UNFORTUNATE SOULS but a new outstanding number called I WANT THE GOOD TIMES BACK. Sierra Boggess, too, in the lead is absolutely lovely and possesses a mighty fine voice. So obviously THE LITTLE MERMAID is bound to spend some time on Broadway while parents and kids pack the theaters, at least on weekend matinees.
I then went on to catch a play at my favourite thatre - the Mitzi Newhouse at the Lincoln Center. The play SATURN RETURNS is short and very effective. Three actors play the same characters in thirty years intervals while one actress plays three separate roles as the women through this man's life in what serves best as a memory play. Funny enough, I also bumped into an old friend, Dvora, at the theatre. I have not kept in touch with her since my break-up five years ago but here she somehow appeared after all this time. And at the start of a memory play. How funny is that. More on SATURN RETURNS in a separate blog.
Sunday, now really sick, began with JERSEY BOYS, the award winning musical that I've resisted for quite some time. I did it for Arthur. He really wanted to see it and he did show up in town just for me. So the showreminded me of DREAMGIRLS meets GOODFELLAS, exactly as I had anticipated. It was entertaining but cerainly a tourist show and one that while never bored me, never got me so thrilled either. I cannot believe how popular is is but then again should not be surprised whatsoever. People rather flock to sit down and re-listen to old radio melodies than watch innovative theatre these days.
Finally I caught my seventh showing of CHICAGO, but first in over seven years. It featured Charlotte D'Amboise as Roxy no less. As always I loved it. Perfect score and you can't go wrong with this minimalist revival with emphasis on the smart set of songs . I last saw D'Amboise in CHICAGO perhaps in 1997 when I first did Broadway a la carte. Wow, so long ago.
Monday was a day well spent in bed and at home - at Doug's to be precise - Arthur took care of me until he had to catch his bus at around four in the afternoon. By this point even Doug had gone for Long Island for an entire week [he left on Sunday morning]- leaving me alone
to rest - It was tough. Sick as a puppy, I tried to make the best of my day with twenty hours of of rest. I haven't been this sick in so long and I felt ready to stay in bed for another month or so...lol.
But no I cannot do that. I'm a planner. So instead I grabbed Cathy and, later, her husband Ariel, and off we went to JOE'S PUB , the legendary hot spot, to check out comedianne singer Jackie Hoffman in her latest SCRAPING THE BOTTOM - Special Holiday Edition where she completely out of whack sang and said the most politically incorrect thoughts we all have in our heads - so fighting off a sore throat, a runny nose, a splitting headache and and what have you, I laughed and hurt my head off all through the show. I later went over to her by the door where she was pushing her CD, which I graciously bought, but funny enough, she was not ON [or even friendly; preoccupied is more like it] by the door as she was on stage. I still bought the CD but was disappointed that she did not give her fans in the small room any attention. This of course does not take me away from thinking that she is absolutely hysterical.
Post-script: After the show, I had gone out on that Monday night despite the flu. I met up with Royce and his two actor friends Jessica and Jonathan - I then rested some more on Tuesday before heading out the door in the late afternoon. I had a few errands to run and a few purchase to make. By eight o'clock I had made in front of the Booth theater, where I had seen many of my favourite plays over the past twenty year. The occasion was the new Broadway transfer of Horton Foote's DIVIDING THE ESTATE with Elizabeth Ashley as a Matriarch trying to establish her heirs and Foote's own daughter Hallie as her conniving thankless daughter. While not as gripping as the similar AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY, DIVIDING THE ESTATE still had its charm, dramatic impact and great casting.
Following the play, I joined Jonathan, who I had met the night before only to find out that he was catching the same play on the same evening, and along with his producer friend Patrick, the three of us went out for a pleasurable late night of sushi.
SOUTH PACIFIC was Tuesday's big ticket, thanks to Justin who had a friend in the cast, and was able to reserve me a house seat. My last day in New York was completed in style. The impossible-to-get-tickets-to SOUTH PACIFIC and BILLY ELLIOT were the ideal book ends to such a fruitful and eventful eighteen days. These tickets suddenly became very available and the seats were even better than one could hope for. Starting with SOUTH PACIFIC, I was in awe of such a magnificent production. Perhaps the classiest of any Broadway show I had ever experienced, this is not to say that this is my favourite musical. It is by far that but the production level truly elevated the classic and turned it into a big event, a big ticket musical, where everyone in it and everything about it seemed encased in gold. While three hours, it was a visual and orchestral treat down to the musicians all dressed in tuxedos. I can see why this one is sold out for its entire duration, even during a recession.
BILLY ELLIOT was another matter altogether. The sweet kid with big hopes at the centre of this musical drama, with songs by Elton John, based on the Stephen Daldry's incredible film, and directed by Daldry as well for the stage [along with THE HOURS and THE READER, he is simply brilliant], alternates on a nightly basis. And perhaps I was very lucky to have been there on that Wednesday night but Kiril Kulish is a pure phenomenon, a fierce young ballet performer, nothing short of magical. My second time seeing BILLY ELLIOT on stage, the first being in London's West End in 2006, I once again couldn't control the tears that this powerful show has over me. It was John's favourite movie way back when and it shall always leave a lasting impression on me and combined with the musical's ability to soar and take drama to a whole new personal level, this is the stuff dreams are made of. I cannot think of not recommending BILLY ELLIOT to anyone with a heart or a pacemaker. Only the heartless shall remain cynical.
Having said that, I am off , where else but to the theatre, the cinema house or any another location where a show may take place. It may even be your very own home. Will be back shortly though.
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